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A 


a  3f teber  of  /Bben 

CHURCHILL   SATTERLEE 

PRIEST  AND   MISSIONARY— AN 

INTERPRETATION  OF  HIS 

LIFE  AND   LABORS  BY 

HAMILTON    SCHUYLER 


flew  JJ)orfc 

EDWIN  S.  GOEHAM  Publisher 

1905 


Copyrighted  1905  by 
Edzi'in  S.  Gorham 


The  Heidingsfeld  Press 
New  Brunswick 


'We  must  be  here  to  work, 

And  men  who  work  can  only  work  for  men, 

And,  not  to  work  in  vain,  must  comprehend 

Humanity,  and  so  work  humanely, 

And  raise  men's  bodies  still  by  raising  souls.' 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER       I.  The   Maq  and    His   Making.       ...  7 

CHAPTER     II.  Grace  Church,,  Morgan  tor}.      ...  33 

CHAPTER     III.  A   Country    Parish  at  Work.        ...  58 

CHAPTER    IV,  Pioneer  Work  \t\  the  Mountains.      .  91 

CHAPTER     V.  Trinity  Church,,  Columbia 120 

CHAPTER    VI.  Among  the   Mill   Hands 146 

CHAPTER    VII.      Finishing   His  Course 164 

Chapter  Vlll.    Aftermath 171 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  MAN  AND  HIS  MAKING. 

There  are,  broadly  speaking,  three  types  of  men 
whose  lives  may  be  said  to  be  worth  recording;  first, 
those  whose  superior  mental  endowments  have  won 
for  them  an  unique  place  in  the  popular  imagination ; 
second,  those  who,  while  lacking  this  distinction,  have 
played  important  parts  upon  a  wide  stage  of  human 
affairs ;  third,  those  who,  while  neither  eminent  intel- 
lectually nor  conspicuous  because  of  their  connection 
with  great  events,  have  yet  possessed  personalities 
which  have  fascinated  and  inspired  others  solely  by 
their  intrinsic  beauty  and  worth.  To  this  last  class 
belongs  the  man  with  whom  this  book  is  concerned. 
Churchill  Satterlee  in  a  ministry  of  little  more  than  a 
decade,  and  that  spent  mainly  in  an  obscure  back- 
woods village,  had  succeeded  in  so  impressing  his 
personality  upon  those  among  whom  he  labored  or 
who  came  within  the  zone  of  his  influence,  as  not  only 
to  create  for  himself  a  deep  and  abiding  affection  in 
their  hearts,  but  also  to  effect  a  permanent  change  in 
their  moral  and  spiritual  outlook.  It  is  on  these 
grounds,  as  one  who  loved  humanity,  and  gave  him- 
self ungrudgingly  for  its  uplifting,  as  a  Fisher  of 

7 


8  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

Men.  that  Satterlee's  life  and  work  have  been  deemed 
worthy  of  interpretation. 

Churchill  Satterlee  was  born  April  27,  1867,  in 
New  Hamburgh,  a  little  village  in  New  York  State, 
on  the  east  bank  of  the  Hudson  River.  He  was  the 
first  child  and  only  son  of  Henry  Yates  and  Jane 
Churchill  Satterlee.  His  father  was  at  that  time 
assistant  minister  of  Zion  Church,  Wappinger's  Falls, 
and  occupied  as  a  rectory  the  little  cottage  belonging 
to  Netherwoods,  the  estate  of  Irving  Grinnell,  Esq. 
The  child  was  baptized  June  30,  in  the  parish  church 
by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Andrews,  a  clergyman  who  was  born 
before  the  United  States  had  achieved  its  independ- 
ence from  the  mother  country.  This  was  a  thought 
which  Satterlee  always  cherished. 

The  Satterlee  family  came  originally  from  the 
little  village  of  Sotterly  in  Suffolk,  England,  where, 
in  the  parish  church  of  St.  Margaret's,  may  still  be 
seen  the  old  family  memorial  brasses.  During  the 
Wars  of  the  Roses  their  estates  were  confiscated,  and 
one  of  the  family,  Thomas  Sotterly,  seems  to  have 
removed  to  Devonshire.  There,  four  generations 
afterward,  the  Rev.  William  Sotterly  was  Vicar  of 
Ide,  a  suburb  of  the  City  of  Exeter.  Being  a  Royal- 
ist, his  property  was  sequestered  by  the  Round  Heads 
under  Oliver  Cromwell,  and  he  himself  was  impris- 
oned. His  son  Benedict,  the  direct  ancestor  of  the 
Satterlee  family  in  this  country,  emigrated  to  America 
and  settled  in  Xew  London.  Conn.  His  descendants, 
like  many  of  the   English   colonists  of  those  days, 


THE  MAN.  9 

became  Baptists  or  Congregationalists,  and  after- 
wards, in  the  case  of  those  who  removed  to  New 
York,  Dutch  Reformed.  Through  intermarriage 
with  the  Lansing  and  Van  Rensselaer  families  a 
strain  of  Dutch  blood  was  introduced  and  a  relation- 
ship thus  established  with  many  of  the  leading  Knick- 
erbocker families  of  New  York  State.  One  of  Satter- 
lee's  relatives  in  the  collateral  line,  Joseph  Yates,  was 
Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York.  On  his  mother's 
side  there  was  also  an  admixture  of  Dutch  with 
English  blood.  Timothy  Gridley  Churchill,  his 
grandfather,  a  merchant  of  New  York  City,  was  of 
English  extraction,  but  his  wife,  Patience  Lawrence, 
a  descendant  of  John  Eliot  the  Apostle  to  the  Indians, 
was  a  Riker  on  the  mother's  side.  Satterlee's  father, 
Henry  Yates  Satterlee,  afterwards  first  Bishop  of 
Washington,  was  the  first  of  his  family  to  return  to 
the  faith  of  his  ancestors,  and  as  his  mother's  was  a 
church  family,  their  son  Churchill  was  reared  in  the 
Episcopal  Church  as  his  rightful  heritage. 

New  Hamburgh  where  Satterlee  spent  his  child- 
hood, contained  the  country  seats  of  many  New 
Yorkers  possessed  of  wealth  and  social  position,  who 
were  his  father's  parishioners,  while  two  miles  dis- 
tant, in  Wappinger's  Falls,  where  the  parish  church 
was  located,  there  was  to  be  found  beside  the  ordinary 
village  population,  a  large  contingent  of  mill  oper- 
atives employed  in  the  great  Garner  woollen 
mills.  Thus  the  boy  grew  up  surrounded  by  an 
atmosphere    of    refinement    and    culture,    and    yet 


io  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

coming  at  the  same  time  in  close  personal  touch 
with  the  plain  village  folk  and  the  working- 
classes.  The  ability  to  adapt  himself  to  all  sorts 
and  conditions  of  people  which  Satterlee  so  con- 
spicuously displayed  in  after  life,  was  undoubtedly 
acquired  naturally. through  his  daily  intercourse  with 
all  classes  during  his  boyhood  days.  Privileged 
always  to  move  on  terms  of  perfect  equality  with  those 
highly  placed  socially,  he  was  yet  able  to  understand 
and  sympathize  with  the  plainest  and  most  uncouth. 
Though  all  his  tastes  were  aristocratic,  he  was  yet  the 
most  democratic  of  men,  and  if  he  possessed  any  pride 
of  birth  or  ancestry,  no  one  would  ever  have  known 
it  from  his  speech  or  bearing. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  there  was  no  good  school 
within  a  convenient  distance,  Churchill  was  taught  at 
home-  by  governesses  until  he  was  twelve  years  of  age, 
when  his  parents  took  him  to  Europe  with  them. 
During  the  year  they  spent  in  travel,  he  was  placed  in 
the  house  of  a  French  school-teacher  in  Switzerland. 
Here,  having  as  his  daily  companions  only  foreign 
lads,  he  learned  to  speak  the  French  language  fluently, 
and  moreover,  thrown  as  it  were  upon  his  own  moral 
resources,  laid  the  foundation  of  the  robust  character 
which  marked  his  later  years.  It  would  scarcely  be 
true  to  say,  that  as  a  boy  or  young  man  Satterlee 
exhibited  specialVvidence  of  possessing  more  than  the 
normal  interest  in  religious  matters.  As  a  lad  he  was 
conscientious  and  dutiful,  but  he  does  not  seem  to 
have  impressed   anybody   with   his   piety.      Perhaps, 


THE  MAN.  ii 

indeed,  he  could  hardly  be  called  an  especially  devout 
boy.  He  seems  to  have  entered  with  zest  into  the 
observance  of  the  Church  Festivals,  in  connection 
with  which  there  were  in  his  father's  parish  many 
unique  circumstances  attending,  but  there  is  nothing 
in  the  history  of  his  boyhood  to  suggest  that  the  min- 
istry was  in  his  thoughts,  unless  an  incident  recalled 
of  his  once  sprinkling  water  upon  some  kittens  and 
pretending  to  make  them  Christians,  may  be  so 
regarded.  Another  incident  which  occurred  when  he 
was  only  about  eight  years  old,  may  be  mentioned  as 
early  revealing  the  spirit  of  helpfulness  to  others 
which  was  one  of  his  distinguishing  traits.  The  story 
is  recalled  in  a  letter  from  a  lady  whom  it  concerned, 
who  was  his  governess  at  this  period : 

"I  was  not  surprised  when  I  learned  that  Churchill 
had  entered  the  ministry.  I  recall  a  little  incident  of 
my  stay  in  New  Hamburgh.  One  day  in  my  room 
Churchill  took  up  a  book  from  the  table,  turned  it 
around  and  upside  down,  trying  to  read  it. 

"He  asked,  'What  kind  of  a  book  is  this.  Miss 
Shaw?'  I  answered,  'It  is  my  Spanish  Bible.'  Ts  this 
all  the  Bible  you  have?'  'All  I  have,'  I  replied.  He 
turned  over  the  leaves  and  looked  puzzled.  The  next 
day  he  brought  me  a  beautiful  new  English  Bible, 
saying,  'Miss  Shaw,  I  think  you  can  read  that  easier.' 
On  the  first  page  he  had  written  in  his  boyish  hand, 
'Miss  Shaw,  from  Churchill  Satterlee,  New  Ham- 
burgh, July  29,  1876.'  I  left  New  Hamburgh  twelve 
days  afterwards,  August  tenth,  and  was  married  on 


i2  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

that  day.  The  little  Bible  has  been  my  constant  com- 
panion ever  since.  I  have  it  now  in  good  condition 
on  my  little  altar.  It  was  probably  Churchill's  first 
missionary  work." 

Upon  the  whole  it  may  be  said,  that  there  was  little 
about  the  boy  which  marked  him  off  as  in  any  way 
different  from  his  companions,  or  which  seemed  to 
indicate  the  direction  of  his  future  career.  He  was 
just  a  simple,  healthy-minded  lad,  who  entered 
heartily  into  the  games  and  sports  of  his  associates 
and  did  with  cheerfulness  the  tasks  assigned  him  by 
his  parents  and  teachers. 

I  Fpon  the  return  of  his  parents  from  their  European 
trip  to  their  home  in  New  Hamburgh,  Churchill,  now 
in  his  fourteenth  year,  was  sent  to  St.  Paul's  School, 
Concord.  The  influence  of  the  rector,  Dr.  Coit,  and 
the  genius  of  the  school  made  a  deep  and  permanent 
impression  upon  young  Satterlee.  The  friendships  he 
formed  there  remained  with  him  through  life,  and  the 
gratitude  and  affection  he  ever  felt  and  expressed  for 
St.  Paul's  were  unbounded.  Owing  to  an  accident 
which  befell  him  while  coasting,  he  was  seriously 
injured  and  compelled  to  leave  without  finishing  his 
course.  Subsequently,  from  this  or  some  other  cause, 
inflammatory  rheumatism  set  in,  and  Satterlee  was 
compelled  for  several  years  to  spend  the  winter 
months  in  the  South. 

Thus  from  his  fifteenth  year  until  a  period  reaching 
into  the  early  days  of  his  ministry,  Satterlee  had  to 
suffer  the  lassitude  and  weakness,  as  well  as  pain, 


THE  MAN.  13 

occasioned  by  recurrent  attacks  of  this  disease.  He 
was  naturally  active,  with  a  love  of  athletic  sports, 
which  he  had  to  forego  when  rheumatism  set  in.  This 
was  a  keen  disappointment  to  the  young  boy,  and  it 
was  only  through  strong  will  power  that  the  contin- 
uity of  his  life  and  studies  was  maintained.  Thus  he 
early  learned  the  lesson  of  bearing  pain  and  overcom- 
ing obstacles.  He  was  never  discouraged  by  physical 
weakness,  and  though  for  long  periods  he  suffered 
severely,  his  bedroom  was  always  a  scene  of  bright- 
ness. Every  morning  in  answer  to  inquiries,  his 
unfailing  response  would  be :  "Oh,  I  am  better 
to-day,"  and  so  attractive  was  his  influence,  that  his 
sick-room  was  a  meeting  place  for  his  school-boy 
friends,  who  came  to  see  him  as  often  as  permitted. 

While  wintering  in  the  South  he  continued  to 
pursue  his  studies  under  the  direction  of  a  tutor  of 
Unitarian  belief.  The  rector  of  the  parish  in  the  town 
where  the  two  stayed  took  a  great  interest  in  both 
teacher  and  pupil,  and  subsequently,  when  the  teacher 
was  brought  to  Confirmation  and  the  Holy  Com- 
munion, declared  his  conviction  that  the  step  was 
due  largely  to  Satterlee's  influence.  In  speaking  of 
the  matter  years  afterwards  to  Satterlee's  father,  this 
clergyman  said :  "Instead  of  the  teacher  leading  the 
pupil,  the  pupil  led  the  teacher." 

There  was  nothing  in  Satterlee  of  the  prig  as  a  boy 
or  man.  He  frankly  enjoyed  the  acquaintance  and 
companionship  of  many  whose  actions  at  times  he  was 
fain  to  disapprove.     He  did  not  choose  his  associates 


>4  A   IvlSHER  OF  MEN. 

with  any  idea  that  he  would  receive  himself  any 
benefit  morally  or  otherwise.  He  seemed  never  to 
imagine  that  any  moral  fault  or  vicionsness  in  them 
would  redound  to  his  own  injur}-  or  sully  his  manly 
purity.  If  he  refrained  commonly  from  rebuking 
them  or  uttering  any  condemnation  of  their  actions, 
it  was  not  because  he  was  indifferent  to  the  course  they 
were  pursuing  or  that  he  easily  condoned  their 
offences,  but  simply  because  he  liked  them  in  spite  of 
their  faults  and  did  not  feel  called  upon  too  closely  to 
scrutinize  their  lives.  Such  an  attitude  is  often  mis- 
understood and  usually  set  down  as  indifference  to 
moral  issues.  In  some  cases  this  is  undoubtedly  true, 
but  in  his  case  no  one  could  know  him  without  being 
convinced  that  his  attitude  was  the  result  of  wholly 
different  motives.  Doubtless  all  unconsciously  he  felt 
that  they  could  not  drag  him  down  to  their  level,  while 
there  was  a  possibility  that  he  might  be  the  means  of 
lifting  them  up.  If  he  foreswore  their  society  or  made 
himself  in  any  way  unpleasant  to  them  by  the  adop- 
tion of  a  censorious  spirit,  he  was  conscious  that  his 
influence  over  them  would  wholly  disappear.  He  was 
willing  to  take  the  chances  of  being  himself  defiled, 
for  the  opportunity  of  being  helpful  to  them. 

In  1882  Dr.  Satterlee  was  called  to  become  the  rec- 
tor of  Calvary  Church.  New  York  City,  and  the 
family  accordingly  removed  thither  and  occupied  the 
rectory  on  East  Twenty  first  Street,  adjoining  the 
church.  This  change  from  the  conditions  prevailing 
in  a  country  village  to  those  obtaining  in  a  metropoli- 


THE  MAN.  15 

tan  city,  undoubtedly  exercised  a  potent  influence  over 
the  life  of  young  Satterlee.  In  the  manifold  activities 
of  a  large  and  highly  organized  city  parish,  situated  in 
the  very  heart  of  the  most  densely  populated  region  of 
New  York,  a  thoughtful  and  observant  boy  such  as 
he  was,  could  not  fail  to  find  much  to  inspire  him  and 
quicken  his  susceptibilities.  In  his  new  home  which 
was  always  a  center  of  a  wide  church  life,  he  would 
meet  men  distinguished  in  the  ecclesiastical  world; 
missionary  bishops  and  clergymen  prominent  in  the 
Church  being  frequent  visitors  at  Calvary  rectory.  In 
listening  to  the  conversation  and  discussions  which 
went  on  about  him,  he  could  hardly  fail  to  imbibe  a 
general  knowledge  of  ecclesiastical  and  missionary 
matters  and  have  his  interest  in  these  things  aroused 
and  stimulated ;  thus  receiving  unconsciously  into  his 
mind  the  pregnant  ideas  which  determined  his  future 
career. 

Satterlee  entered  the  Freshman  Class  of  Columbia 
University,  his  father's  Alma  Mater,  in  1886.  The 
recurring  attacks  of  rheumatism  from  which  he  suf- 
fered during  this  period,  and  which  prevented  his 
regular  attendance  upon  his  college  course,  made  it 
impossible  to  take  a  high  standing  in  scholarship,  but 
he  acquitted  himself  creditably  and  was  graduated  in 
due  course  with  his  class.  While  in  college  Satterlee 
entered  fully  into  the  social  life  of  the  institution, 
joining  one  of  the  Greek  Letter  Fraternities,  and 
making  many  friends  both  within  and  without  the 
Society.     He  indulged   freely  in  all   the  legitimate 


16  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

amusements  of  his  fellows,  but  had  the  reputation  of 
never  exceeding  the  limits  of  temperance  and  good 
behavior. 

One  of  the  closest  friends  of  his  boyhood  and  col- 
lege years  furnishes  a  frank  description  of  Satterlee's 
characteristics  as  they  appeared  to  his  associates  of 
this  period : 

"One  thing  characteristic  of  Churchill  was  his 
pleasure  in  helping  others,  which  he  always  did  in  a 
way  of  his  own,  and  no  obstacle  ever  prevented  him 
accomplishing  his  purpose.  I  remember  his  borrow- 
ing money  to  lend  it  to  another  to  provide  funds  so 
that  the  other  might  study  with  a  tutor.  The  man 
finally  got  through,  mainly  by  the  grace  of  the 
Faculty,  it  was  said,  but  the  man  had  very  little  grace 
to  spare,  and  what  he  did  have  was  obtained  through 
the  money  he  borrowed  from  Churchill,  which 
Churchill  did  not  himself  have,  but,  ever  resourceful, 
he  obtained  elsewhere. 

"Churchill  was  a  financier  and  promoter,  in  so  far 
as  he  might  help  or  give  pleasure  to  others.  Even  as 
a  boy  he  was  resourceful.  When  the  lemons  gave  out 
at  home  and  no  lemonade  could  be  procured,  his 
father's  postage  stamps  were  converted  into  ginger 
ale  and  soda  water  at  the  nearest  drug  store  for  our 
enjoyment. 

"All  sorts  and  conditions  of  fellows  would  come  to 
Churchill  while  he  was  in  college,  and  also  in  later 
years,  when  they  were  in  trouble,  and  he  helped  them 
in  some  way  or  other,  any  little  thing,  from  getting  a. 


THE  MAN.  '7 

bondsman  when  they  were  arrested,  to  going  down  to 
court  after  them.  If  they  needed  money,  and  he  had 
none,  he  would  allow  them  to  pawn  anything  he  had 
that  was  pawnable.  In  many  instances  he  never  heard 
of  the  article  pawned,  and  often  he  was  not  even 
reimbursed  with  thanks,  but  still  he  trusted  everyone 
who  came  to  him,  and  everyone  who  knew  him,  no 
matter  how  slightly,  trusted  him. 

"Churchill  was  not  a  'goody-goody'  fellow.  He 
liked  a  good  time,  and  this,  combined  with  his  strength 
of  character,  which  in  some  cases  almost  amounted  to 
obstinacy,  he  was  so  purposeful,  made  him  loved  by 
many  and  respected  by  all.  These  points  are  clearly 
characteristic  of  him;  they  emphasize  certain  phases 
of  his  personality  which,  perhaps,  a  good  many  may 
think  would  better  be  passed  over,  but  they  are  facts. 
In  one  case  with  which  T  was  familiar,  he  was  up 
nearly  all  night  obtaining  a  bondsman  for  a  student 
who  belonged  to  another  Fraternity.  This  student's 
friends,  if  they  had  felt  so  inclined,  could  easily  have 
bailed  him  out,  but  did  not  lift  a  finger,  while 
Churchill  ran  about  town  to  get  the  bail,  thus  contract- 
ing a  cold  which  compelled  him  to  leave  college  and 
go  South  for  several  months." 

During  successive  summers  Satterlee  accompanied 
his  family  upon  tours  through  Europe.  Thus  he 
visited  repeatedly  England,  Spain,  France,  Switzer- 
land. Austria  and  Italy.  He  was  privileged  to  visit 
Oberammergau  twice,  once  while  he  was  a  boy  of 
thirteen,  and  again  in  1890  during  the  summer  fol- 


18  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

lowing  his  graduation  from  college.  He  had  lodgings 
on  both  occasions  with  the  same  family,  members  of 
which  had  parts  in  the  Passion  Play,  and  his  impres- 
sions of  its  wonderful  influence  were  strengthened  by 
his  consciousness  of  the  genuine  goodness  and  purity 
of  the  lives  of  those  who  participated  in  the  produc- 
tion. The  conjunction  in  them  of  religious  devotion 
with  a  keen  appreciation  of  the  value  of  art  in  music 
and  handicraft,  was  a  matter  he  often  spoke  of  with 
enthusiasm,  and  probably  accounted  for  his  marked 
predilection  in  after  years  for  a  rich  and  beautiful 
church  service. 

When  in  England  he  was  taken  by  his  father  to 
inspect  Oxford  House  and  other  phases  of  Church 
work  in  East  London,  and  he  also  attended  with  his 
father  a  retreat  for  the  Clergy  at  Keble  College, 
Oxford,  conducted  by  Canon  Gore.  It  is  probable 
that  these  experiences  had  a  determining  effect  upon 
his  choice  of  a  vocation.  Up  to  this  period  his  father 
had  scrupulously  refrained  from  making  any  sug- 
gestion to  his  son  in  regard  to  his  future  work, 
though,  of  course,  Satterlee  could  hardly  fail  to  real- 
ize the  hopes  his  father  cherished  for  him. 

Proof  that  he  had  given  the  matter  of  choosing 
a  career  full  consideration  before  finally  deciding  to 
adopt  the  ministry,  is  clear.  That  he  did  not  simply 
drift  into  it  as  following  the  line  of  least  resistance, 
is  apparent  from  the  fact  that  he  had  seriously 
thought  of  going  into  business. 


THE  MAN.  19 

The  following  letter  from  one  of  his  intimate 
friends  is  illuminating  on  this  point : 

"One  day  I  asked  Churchill  why  he  went  into  the 
ministry.  He  said :  T  told  my  father  soon  after 
graduation  that  I  had  about  decided  to  go  into  the 
real  estate  business.  Instead  of  jumping  up  to  con- 
gratulate me  he  just  looked  at  me  and  said,  'I  can 
picture  you  sitting  in  an  office  on  the  Avenue  waiting 
for  a  customer  to  come  in — and  then  ?' 

"I  believe  those  two  words — 'and  then' — had  a 
direct  influence  on  his  whole  course  of  life  thereafter. 
He  felt  that  he  was  fitted  for  a  higher  calling  and 
one  more  useful.  Many  times  have  I  heard  him  tell 
the  story  of  the  worldly  man  who  was  being  ques- 
tioned as  to  his  ambitions  in  life,  and  after  each  goal 
of  riches  or  pleasure  had  been  reached  the  insatiable 
questioner  would  ask,  'and  then?'  until  finally  the 
man  was  forced  to  admit  that  after  he  had  attained 
all  his  ambitions  in  this  world,  he  would  in  reality  be 
just  where  he  started,  having  done  no  good  to  man- 
kind, as  his  aims  were  entirely  selfish,  or  at  least  not 
directed  towards  things  worth  while." 

A  letter  from  a  friend  of  mature  years,  whom  Sat- 
terlee  often  consulted,  is  similarly  significant : 

"When  Churchill  was  about  leaving  Columbia,  we 
had  a  long  talk  with  regard  to  his  future.  He  had 
not  fully  decided  what  he  would  do.  Someone  had 
urged  him  to  become  a  chemist.  I  did  not  think  much 
of  it,  and  suggested,  that  if  he  would  like  to  study 
law,  I  could  help  him.    He  said  he  thought  he  would 


2o  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

enter  the  ministry,  but  was  not  quite  decided  ;  that  he 
felt  that  his  life  did  not  strictly  belong  to  himself, 
which  was  one  of  the  reasons  why,  before  deciding, 
he  desired  to  talk  with  his  friends;  that  in  the  walk 
of  life  in  which  he  felt  he  could  be  most  useful  to 
those  about  him,  he  would  engage  and  do  his  best, 
whatever  the  results  might  be." 

Satterlee's  father  gives  an  account  of  an  interview 
which  he  had  with  his  son  relative  to  the  choice  of 
his  vocation  in  life.  It  was  when  the  summer  vaca- 
tion following  his  graduation  from  college  was  draw- 
ing to  a  close,  during  a  sojourn  in  Lucerne.  The  two 
had  gone  for  a  walk  in  the  fields,  and  were  resting 
under  a  haystack.  The  subject  was  introduced  by 
Dr.  Satterlee.  who  said  to  his  son: 

"So  far  you  have  made  a  creditable  mark  for  your- 
self:  now  that  you  have  graduated  from  college,  you 
must  choose  a  profession — what  are  you  going 
to  be?" 

"Churchill  replied:  'I  don't  know;  1  don't  think 
I  am  good  for  anything  specially.' 

"  'What  is  your  idea  in  life,'  I  said,  'to  get  or  to 
giv. 

"Churchill  replied:    'Oh!  I've  thought  and  decided 

lit  that  long  ago,  1  want  to  give  all  that  1  have  to 

give;  I  want  to  be  useful,  of  course,  I  want  to  help 

my  Hay  to  take  its  stand:  1  want  to  be  a  builder  of 

some  kind,  but  I  am  not  fitted  to  build  up  anything.* 

"I  said,  'Build  up  the  human  body.'  He  responded, 
'1  never  cared  for  surgery  or  medicine.' 


THE  MAN.  21 

"I  said,  'Build  up  the  sense  of  justice  in  the  com- 
munity.' He  replied,  'I  am  no  orator :  no  dialectician, 
I  am  not  fitted  to  be  a  lawyer.' 

"I  said,  'Be  an  architect  or  a  civil  engineer.'  The 
answer  was,  'You  know  that  I  am  neither  a  draughts- 
man on  the  one  hand  nor  a  mathematician  on  the 
other;  I  am  qualified  for  neither  profession.' 

"I  then  said,  'Be  a  character  builder.'  Churchill 
replied,  'How  can  I  ?  I  am  not  qualified !  Anyway, 
how  is  this  to  be  done?'  I  answered,  'The  character 
builder  in  a  village  is  the  religious  leader,  who  goes 
in  and  out  among  the  people,  and  shows  the  butcher, 
the  baker,  the  candle-stick  maker,  how,  in  pursuing 
their  trades,  to  be  better  tradesmen,  better  citizens  of 
the  commonwealth,  better  Christians  and  more  faith- 
ful witnesses  for  Jesus  Christ,  in  their  several  call- 
ings ;  who  shows  fathers  and  mothers  that  the  Chris- 
tian family  is  the  unit  upon  which  Christian  civiliza- 
tion is  built  up,  and  thus  prepares  the  way  for  the 
coming  of  God's  kingdom.'  Churchill  replied,  'Oh! 
if  I  only  had  the  power  to  be  such  a  character 
builder,  I  should  gladly  give  my  life  to  this  work,  but 
here  again  I  have  no  qualifications  for  filling  this 
sphere.'  I  begged  him  to  stop  and  think,  and 
reminded  him  of  the  influence  he  had  exercised  over 
others  in  his  college  life  and  his  Fraternity,  and 
over  the  friends  who  had  been  coming  for  the  last 
eight  years  to  our  house.  He  made  no  reply  and  we 
walked  quietly  home.  The  next  morning  he  an- 
nounced to  us  that  he  should  sail  for  home  a  month 


22  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

earlier  than  we  had  intended,  for  he  wished  to  have 
a  conference  with  Dean  Hoffman  and  Dr.  Dyer,  with 
a  view  possibly  to  entering  the  General  Seminary  in 
the  autumn.  When  we  all  demurred,  saying  that  this 
would  break  up  the  family  party  and  spoil  the  pleas- 
ure of  our  European  trip,  he  replied,  somewhat 
gruffly,  'Duty  first — pleasure  afterwards.'  His  one 
great  dread  seemed  to  be  lest  he  should  be  influenced 
into  entering  the  ministry  without  being  really  fitted 
for  it.  Now,  when  he  was  on  the  point  of  deciding 
through  his  own  free  will,  it  was  a  satisfaction  for 
him  to  feel,  that  by  thus  sailing  for  America  contrary 
to  his  own  inclinations  and  our  wishes,  he  was  giving 
proof  of  his  sincerity  and  independent  choice.  Two 
months  from  that  time,  on  St.  Matthew's  Day,  1890, 
while  Churchill  was  being  matriculated  as  a  student 
in  the  Seminary,  we  were  in  John  Keble's  church  at 
Hursley,  praying  that  God  would  bless  him  in  the  act 
and  consecrate  his  whole  future  life  in  the  ministry, 
as  a  faithful  servant  of  Jesus  Christ." 

Satterlee  entered  the  General  Theological  Semi- 
nary in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year.  He  did  not 
lodge  in  the  Seminary  dormitories,  but  continued  to 
live  at  home,  going  back  and  forth  for  the  lectures. 
He  felt  that  his  first  duty  was  to  throw  all  his  energy 
and  strength  into  his  studies,  and  he,  therefore, 
refrained  from  taking  any  active  part  in  the  work  of 
Calvary  Church.  He  realized  that  by  nature  lie  was 
more  inclined  to  energetic  and  practical  work  than 
to  books,  and  he  conscientiously  devoted  himself  to 


THE  MAN.  23 

the  study  of  theology.  As  the  result  of  this  persistent 
effort  he  now  acquired  habits  of  systematic  reading 
which  afterwards  proved  a  constant  safeguard  to  him 
in  his  life  as  a  country  rector.  The  only  definite  and 
regular  work  which  he  undertook  in  Calvary  Church 
during  this  period  was  the  training  of  the  Auxiliary 
Choir.  His  natural  shyness  made  him  exceedingly 
reluctant  to  fill  this  position,  but  his  sense  of  duty  and 
his  extreme  fondness  for  music  finally  led  him  to 
accept.  Under  his  leadership  as  organist  and  choir- 
master, a  distinct  improvement  in  the  behavior  of  the 
choir  members  was  noticeable.  Though  the  young 
men  and  women  composing  the  choir  were  many  of 
them  his  most  intimate  friends,  his  enthusiasm  enabled 
him  to  conquer  his  diffidence,  and  he  learned  to  play 
the  part  of  a  strict  disciplinarian. 

As  at  school  and  college,  so  also  in  the  seminary, 
Satterlee  made  many  friends  and  was  a  prime  favorite 
with  his  classmates.  He  introduced  them  to  his 
parents  and  made  them  free  of  the  hospitality  so  lav- 
ishly dispensed  at  Calvary  Rectory. 

A  fellow  seminarian,  who,  perhaps,  knew  him  as 
intimately  as  any  of  his  friends  of  that  period,  writes 
as  follows  in  a  letter  addressed  to  Satterlee's  mother : 

"Though  I  know  that  Churchill  must  have  changed 
greatly  from  our  Seminary  days,  developed  in  every 
way,  intellectually  and  spiritually,  I  am  confident  he 
had  not  outgrown  one  of  his  chief  characteristics, 
namely,  his  loyalty  to  those  whom  he  honored  with 
his  friendship. 


24  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

"Perhaps  you  have  forgotten,  if,  indeed,  you  ever 
knew,  what  I  said  about  him  over  ten  years  ago  in  a 
class  poem  which  I  wrote.  I  had  my  fling  at  the 
foibles  and  idiosyncracies  of  my  classmates  and  pro- 
fessors. There  was  no  intention  of  hurting  or  of 
leaving  a  sting  behind,  but  I  fancy  in  some  cases  there 
was  a  feeling  that  I  had  been  pretty  severe.  There 
were  one  or  two  men  whom  I  could  not  bring  myself 
to  say  anything  'spicy'  about,  their  characters  were 
too  simple  and  transparent  to  lend  themselves  to  my 
satire,  good  humored  as  I  meant  it  to  be. 

"Here  is  what  I  said  then  about  Churchill : 

"  'And  here's  a  man,  whose  heart  is  true  as  steel, 
A  statement  this  from  which  there's  no  appeal, 
Whose  friends  upon  him  always  have  a  claim, 
Which  he  will  honor, — Satterlee's  his  name.' 

"I  can't  remember  precisely  how  it  was  Churchill 
and  I  first  struck  up  our  friendship.  He  was  the 
younger  by  some  years,  and  I  think  then,  even  for  his 
age  and  although  a  graduate  of  college  and  what  is 
called  a  man's  man,  singularly  unsophisticated.  Per- 
haps it  was  this  quality  which  attracted  me  to  him 
first.  This,  and  the  cordiality  of  his  manner,  together 
with  the  absolute  lack  of  conceit  which  marked  him, 
served  to  draw  me  to  him.  1  know  that  inside  of  a 
week  after  our  first  meeting,  we  found  ourselves 
entering  upon  terms  of  great  intimacy.  He  used  to 
come  to  my  room  and  leave  his  overcoat  and  hat  and 
don  the  mortar-board  and  gown.     I  sat  near  him. 


THE  MAN.  25 

generally  next  to  him,  in  the  class  room.  Shortly 
after  the  return  from  the  country  of  the  Rector  of 
Calvary  and  his  family,  Churchill  invited  me  over  to 
lunch  and  made  me  acquainted  with  you  all. 

"During  the  two  years  of  my  Seminary  course  our 
intimacy  continued  and  our  friendship  increased.  I 
suppose  I  saw  more  of  Churchill  than  anyone  else  did. 
Churchill  was  a  man  the  better  you  knew  him,  the 
more  you  liked  him.  He  was  a  gentleman  under  all 
circumstances.  I  use  the  term  in  its  fullest  signifi- 
cance. I  do  not  mean  that  he  was  merely  well-bred, 
— that  was  to  be  expected, — but  that  he  was  a  gentle- 
man, always  considerate  of  the  feelings  of  others.  I 
never  knew  him  to  say  anything  unkind  of  anyone. 
He  had  an  innate  refinement  that  led  him  to  detest 
whatever  was  vulgar. 

"While  many  of  us  shirked  our  Seminary  duties, 
either  out  of  constitutional  laziness  or  because  the 
teaching  was  not  to  our  liking  and  we  felt  we  could 
do  better  by  following  private  reading,  Churchill  was 
a  faithful  student.  I  fancy  he  did  not  learn  quickly, 
and  that  study  was  to  him  the  hardest  kind  of  work. 
Remember,  I  am  speaking  of  him  as  I  knew  him  a 
dozen  years  ago.  I  am  quite  prepared  to  believe  what 
I  have  been  told  regarding  the  subsequent  develop- 
ment of  his  capacities.  I  am  not  at  all  surprised  to 
know  of  the  important  work  he  has  been  able  to 
accomplish  during  the  last  few  years.  Had  God 
spared  his  life  I  should  have  fully  expected  to  see  him 


26  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

take  his  place  among  the  leaders  of  the  Church  in 
this  country." 

Satterlee  was  duly  graduated  from  the  Seminary 
with  the  Class  of  1893,  an(l  was  ordained  to  the 
diaconate  with  twenty  or  more  of  his  classmates  on 
Trinity  Sunday,  by  Bishop  Potter,  in  Calvary 
Church.  He  was  to  have  been  married  on  the  fol- 
lowing Saturday,  but  owing  to  a  severe  attack  of  his 
old  trouble,  the  wedding  was  postponed  to  June  15, 
when  he  was  united  in  matrimony  to  Margaret  Hum- 
bert, the  youngest  daughter  of  Pierre  Humbert,  Esq., 
of  New  York  City.  The  marriage  took  place  in  Cal- 
vary Church,  Satterlee's  father  officiating.  He  began 
his  ministry  the  following  September  as  a  curate  to 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Battershall,  Rector  of  St.  Peter's 
Church,  Albany.  In  Advent  of  that  same  year  he 
was  advanced  to  the  priesthood  by  Bishop  Doane. 
Shortly  afterwards,  owing  to  the  failure  of  his  wife's 
health,  he  was  compelled  to  resign  and  go  to  Cali- 
fornia. The  following  entry  appears  in  his  diary, 
under  date  of  January  7,  1894 :  "Celebrated  for  the 
first  time  the  Holy  Communion  in  St.  John's  Church, 
Los  Angeles,  with  what  feeling  of  trepidation  and 
happiness." 

Satterlee  offered  his  services  for  the  winter  to  the 
Bishop  of  California,  and  was  put  in  charge  of  the 
mission  work  at  Ontario,  besides  doing  duty  at  sev- 
eral other  stations. 

His  inability,  for  many  months  after  his  ordina- 
tion, to  take  any  settled  cure,  owing  to  his  wife's  ill 


THE  MAN.  27 

health,  which  obliged  him  to  be  in  different  parts  of 
the  country  at  different  seasons  of  the  year,  was  a 
great  trial  to  him.  But  his  work  during  this  period 
if  desultory,  was  often  very  effective.  In  the  summer 
of  1894,  he  was  appointed  by  Bishop  Doane,  minis- 
ter-in-charge  of  the  mission  at  Lake  Placid,  where  he 
held  services  in  the  hotel  parlors.  During  this  time 
the  mission  was  thoroughly  organized  by  him,  a  lot 
was  given,  a  name  was  chosen,  and  a  building  fund 
amounting  to  $1,350  was  raised.  Thus,  as  the  result 
of  his  efforts,  St.  Hubert's,  afterwards  a  flourishing 
parish,  owed  its  beginning  to  him. 

Subsequently,  he  had  charge  during  the  summer 
months  of  a  little  church  on  an  island  in  Raquette 
Lake.  Here  he  also  did  faithful  work,  going  from 
place  to  place  with  his  wife  in  their  birch  canoe,  visit- 
ing the  families  of  the  Adirondack  guides.  As  the 
result  of  these  efforts  he  was  able  to  present  a  class 
for  Confirmation.  Subsequently,  during  the  years 
that  he  was  rector  of  Grace  Church,  Morganton,  he 
always  took  charge  of  some  Mission  Church  during 
his  summer  vacation,  serving  for  several  seasons  as 
minister-in-charge  of  the  Chapel  at  Quogue,  L.  I. 

An  incident  occurring  about  this  time  illustrating 
his  spirit  of  knight-errantry,  is  worthy  of  mention. 
A  poor  woman  of  the  neighborhood  came  to  him 
with  a  pitiful  story  regarding  her  niece  who  had  been 
engaged  to  marry  a  young  farmer,  but  who  subse- 
quently deserted  her  under  very  distressing  circum- 
stances.    Satterlee  volunteered  to  act  as  peacemaker 


28  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

between  the  two,  and  the  next  day  undertook  a  jour- 
ney of  several  hundred,  miles,  at  his  own  expense,  for 
the  purpose  of  interviewing  the  man  in  question. 
Arriving  at  his  destination,  which  was  in  an  isolated 
community,  Satterlee  sent  word  to  the  young  man, 
making  known  the  purpose  of  his  errand.  In  due 
time  the  young  farmer  appeared,  accompanied  by  Ins 
two  brothers,  all  armed  with  guns,  evidently  expect- 
ing trouble.  As  they  approached  him  in  this  belliger- 
ent attitude,  Satterlee  smilingly  held  out  his  hand, 
remarking.  ''I  suppose  I  ought  to  have  brought  my 
gun  too.  but  as  I  have  forgotten  to  do  so,  suppose  you 
put  yours  aside  and  let  us  sit  down  on  these  logs  and 
talk  over  this  matter  in  a  friendly  spirit."  As  the 
outcome  of  the  conversation  the  young  man  agreed 
to  be  guided  by  his  advice,  and  the  two  jumped  into 
the  wagon  and  were  driven  to  the  rectory  of  the 
neighboring  village,  where  the  aunt  and  niece  were 
awaiting  the  result  of  his  intercession.  The  immedi- 
ate marriage  of  the  pair  followed.  It  is  pleasant  to 
record  that  the  future  life  of  the  couple  thus  roman- 
tically brought  together,  amply  justified  Satterlee's 
intervention. 

In  his  devotional  life  Satterlee  had  to  struggle  hard 
against  a  natural  disinclination  to  be  systematic.  He 
disliked  long  services  and  protracted  prayers;  the 
practical  bent  of  his  mind  and  his  delight  in  bodily 
activity  making  it  irksome  to  spend  much  time  in  daily 
devotions.  'Set  when  he  was  at  the  Seminary  he  was 
conscientious    in    his    attendance    upon    matins    and 


THE  MAN.  29 

evensong,  and  when  he  entered  upon  his  clerical  life 
he  felt  that  he  ought  to  read  matins  daily  in  private, 
even  if  the  church  doors  were  closed.  When  he  and 
his  father  were  together,  or  another  clergyman  was 
visiting  him,  he  was  constantly  suggesting  that  they 
should  say  matins  and  evensong  together.  But  often 
there  were  intervals  of  weeks  when  he  discontinued 
the  practice.  Yet  he  was  undoubtedly  in  the  large 
sense,  a  praying  man.  As  he  said  himself  on  one 
occasion  to  a  dear  friend  who  expressed  surprise  over 
the  fact  that  he  seemed  to  give  so  little  time  to  his 
private  devotions :  "I  say  my  prayers  all  during  the 
day,  at  any  time  when  I  am  walking  or  waiting  to 
see  anyone."  It  was  also  a  custom  of  his  to  say  the 
prayer  for  Missions  at  noon,  and  in  cases  where  he 
could  so  arrange,  he  had  the  church  bell  rung  at  that 
hour.  He  never  held  a  meeting  of  any  kind  without 
a  prayer,  even  though  it  was  only  to  talk  over  the 
plans  for  a  new  building. 

The  physical  suffering  of  his  early  years  and  the 
natural  seriousness  of  mind  resulting  from  it,  disci- 
plined his  spirit  and  developed  his  will  power,  and 
he  acquired  the  habit  of  religious  cheerfulness.  Said 
one  of  his  parishioners :  "I  never  received  but  one 
sharp  rebuke  from  Mr.  Satterlee,  and  that  was  soft- 
ened by  an  affectionate  smile.  It  was  when  I  was 
pouring  out  my  troubles  and  trials  into  his  ear.  He 
answered  quickly,  almost  sharply,  'Don't  worry,  it 
always  weakens.'  " 

A  member  of  his  father's  parish   in   New  York, 


3o  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

in  speaking  of  a  sermon  that  Satterlee  preached  in 
Calvary  Church  soon  after  his  ordination,  writes  as 
follows : 

"With  all  the  diffidence  and  inexperience  against 
which  a  young  preacher  must  have  to  contend,  com- 
bined with  the  fact  that  he  was  in  his  father's  pulpit, 
'a  prophet,  as  it  were,  in  his  own  country,'  before  a 
congregation  among  whom  as  a  lad  he  had  gone  in 
and  out,  he  stood  unembarrassed.  Speaking  very 
modestly,  and  quietly,  of  well  known  truths,  he  sud- 
denly raised  hand  and  voice,  and  almost  shouted  out, 
'Take  up  your  cross,  don't  drag  it,  the  Master  meant 
that  you  should  carry  it,  and  He  shares  the  weight 
zvith  you.'  As  I  look  back  upon  the  past,  and  realize 
how,  during  so  many  years,  these  words  have  rung 
through  my  own  heart  and  life,  from  time  to  time, 
even  in  his  very  tones, — I  feel  indebted  to  him  for 
the  watchword.  Thus  early  did  he  give  indications 
of  the  keynote  of  all  his  subsequent  work,  never 
sparing  himself,  but  always  strong  in  the  blessing 
and  help  of  the  Master." 

This  was  Satterlee's  first  sermon,  and  was  preached 
from  the  text,  Gal.  vi.  17,  "From  henceforth  let  no 
man  trouble  me,  for  I  bear  in  my  body  the  marks  of 
the  Lord  Jesus."  His  interpretation  of  the  text  was, 
that  the  marks  of  the  Lord  Jesus  meant  that  the 
vision  of  Christ  had  scorched  the  Apostle's  eyesight, 
and  that  the  pain  of  this  thorn  in  the  flesh,  was  the 
constant  cross  that  he  had  to  bear  in  his  physical 
frame  for  Christ.     The  memory  of  his  own  bodily 


THE  MAN.  31 

sufferings,  the  consequent  trials  of  a  broken  up  and 
desultory  life,  his  present  anxiety  over  his  wife's  ill 
health,  were  undoubtedly  vividly  present  at  that  time 
in  his  thoughts,  and  probably  gave  his  words  a  force 
and  significance  which  seldom  attach  themselves  to 
the  utterances  of  a  young  and  inexperienced  preacher. 

A  result  of  these  sufferings  through  which  Sat- 
terlee  passed  was,  that  they  brought  out  in  him  to  an 
unusual  degree  the  power  of  human  sympathy.  He 
seemed  to  anticipate  almost  what  sufferers  would  say 
to  him,  and  in  reply  to  speak  the  very  word  of  help 
that  they  most  needed. 

He  inherited  from  his  mother  the  gift  of  entering 
into  the  lives  of  others  through  the  intuitive  Teach- 
ings out  of  his  sympathy,  and  because  he  thus  shared 
their  burdens,  men  and  women  learned  to  lean  on 
him,  and  expect  help  from  him.  This,  in  turn,  called 
forth  his  power  of  self -sacrifice.  As  the  foundations 
of  his  life  grew  deeper  and  rested  more  strongly  on 
God,  he  was  able  to  comfort  others  with  the  comfort 
wherewith  he  himself  had  been  comforted  of  God. 

The  bond  of  union  existing  between  mother  and 
son  was  unusually  close  and  tender.  If  the  affection 
she  felt  for  him  constituted  the  main  interest  of  her 
life,  and  found  expression  always  in  the  most  earnest 
solicitude  for  his  comfort  and  well-being,  the 
response  he  made  was  no  less  sincere  and  sympa- 
thetic. If  his  companionship  was  her  chief  delight, 
he  never  failed  to  pay  her  the  tribute  of  his  perfect 
confidence.     From  his  boyhood  days  all  through  the 


32  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

years  of  his  ministry,  he  made  her  acquainted  with 
all  his  plans  and  projects.  He  was  never  satisfied 
unless  she  shared  his  pleasures,  and  when  they  were 
separated  correspondence  between  them  was  frequent 
and  regular.  She  was  his  model  for  a  clergyman's 
wife  in  her  tact  and  sympathy  and  in  the  generous 
hospitality  she  extended  to  her  husband's  parishion- 
ers, making  even  the  humblest  feel  that  a  cordial 
welcome  awaited  him  at  the  Rectory. 

After  Satterlee's  ordination,  especially  after  he 
went  to  Morganton,  he  became  remarkably  robust. 
His  personal  appearance  was  striking,  particularly  so 
as  he  grew  older.  He  was  nearly  six  feet  four  inches 
in  height  and  broad  in  proportion.  He  had  a  finely 
shaped  head  and  regular  features.  His  eyes  were 
dark  and  expressive.  He  had  a  rich  strong  voice, 
and  read  the  service  impressively.  Though  he  lacked 
the  conventional  graces  of  oratory,  his  evident  sin- 
cerity and  earnestness  always  caused  him  to  be  lis- 
tened to  with  interest. 


CHAPTER  II. 

GRACE  CHURCH,  MORGANTON. 

Mrs.  Satterlee's  continued  ill  health  and  the 
physician's  advice  to  remove  her  to  a  drier  air  and 
a  more  salubrious  locality,  determined  her  husband 
to  take  immediate  steps  to  find  permanent  work. 
Accordingly,  he  wrote  to  several  bishops  whose  jur- 
isdictions comprised  sections  favorable  to  the  neces- 
sities of  his  case.  Bishop  Cheshire,  of  North  Caro- 
lina, to  whom  he  was  personally  known,  promptly 
responded  and  suggested  Morganton,  a  small  town 
in  the  mountain  regions  of  his  diocese,  as  a  place 
answering  the  purpose.  A  call  from  the  vestry  of 
Grace  Church,  to  whom  his  name  had  been  presented 
by  the  Bishop,  followed  quickly.  With  his  usual 
impetuosity  Satterlee  was  for  immediately  accepting 
the  call.  But  his  father  was  unwilling  that  any  defi- 
nite answer  should  be  given  before  making  a  personal 
visit  and  investigating  the  conditions.  As  Satterlee 
himself  was  unable  to  go,  owing  to  the  state  of  his 
wife's  health,  his  father,  without  saying  anything  to 
his  son,  took  a  train  and  went  to  Morganton.  On 
his  arrival  there,  as  the  hotel  accommodations  were 
of  a  somewhat  primitive  kind,  he  went  to  a  private 

33 


34  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

boarding  house,  which  turned  out  to  be  kept   by  a 

la.lv  who  was  a  parishioner  of  the  church.  Without 
giving  her  any  clue  to  his  identity  he  proceeded  to 
make  some  inquiries  in  regard  to  the  parish.  She 
informed  him  that  the  vestry  had  just  called  a  Mr. 
"Larabee"  from  the  North,  and  expressed  her  opin- 
ion that  he  would  never  do.  They  had  never  had  a 
Northern  man,  she  said,  and  she  was  afraid  there 
would  be  trouble,  as  he  would  not  understand  them 
or  they  him. 

The  Civil  War  with  the  sectional  animosities  it 
had  aroused  and  the  bitter  memories  it  had  left,  evi- 
dently made  the  thought  of  a  pastor  from  the  North 
repugnant  to  her  mind.  Doubtless  the  isolated  char- 
acter of  the  place  and  the  little  intercourse  which  the 
inhabitants  of  this  section  had  had  with  Northern 
people  were  accountable  for  this  feeling,  and  had 
stereotyped  a  prejudice  which  elsewhere  in  the  South 
where  communication  was  freer  and  the  commercial 
and  social  relations  closer  was  tending  to  disappear. 
However,  when  Dr.  Satterlee  informed  her  that  it 
was  his  son  whom  the  vestry  had  called,  she  exhib- 
ited the  traditional  kindness  and  courtesy  of  the 
genial  Southern  nature,  and  was  profuse  in  her 
apologies. 

The  parish  at  this  time  was  in  a  most  unsettled 
condition.  The  former  rector,  who  was  still  occupy- 
ing the  rectory,  had  been  practically  forced  to  resign 
his  charge  owing  to  his  eccentricities  and  his  inability 
to  "get  on"  with  the  people.     The  parishioners  had 


MORGANTON.  35 

built  and  nearly  paid  for  a  new  stone  church,  but  the 
rector  on  account  of  some  whim  refused  to  hold  ser- 
vices in  it.  Dr.  Satterlee  called  upon  him  and  lis- 
tened to  a  fierce  diatribe  directed  against  the  vestry 
and  members  of  the  congregation  generally.  He 
also  met  and  interviewed  several  members  of  the 
vestry,  and,  as  he  afterward  told  his  son,  the  fact 
that  they  had  studiously  refrained  from  saying  any- 
thing derogatory  to  the  rector,  convinced  him  that 
the  fault  did  not  lie  at  their  doors.  The  rector,  it 
might  be  stated,  had  been  a  Baptist  preacher  before 
taking  orders  in  the  Church ;  subsequently  in  turn  he 
relinquished  its  ministry  and  became  a  Methodist 
circuit  rider. 

On  his  return  Dr.  Satterlee  found  his  son  in  a  state 
of  great  chagrin  over  the  fact  that  his  father  had 
undertaken  the  journey  without  consulting  him.  It 
was  characteristic  of  Satterlee's  nature  to  resent  what 
he  considered  any  undue  interference  with  his  affairs 
on  the  part  of  his  family.  He  always  desired  to  set- 
tle matters  for  himself,  to  feel  that  his  decisions  were 
the  result  of  his  own  initiative,  and  not  in  any  sense 
due  to  others.  It  was  not  that  he  resented  friendly 
counsel  but  that  he  had  a  distaste  of  anything  that 
looked  like  "coddling"  or  making  things  easy  for 
him.  Devoted  as  he  knew  his  father  to  be  to  his 
interests  and  much  as  he  appreciated  his  good  sense 
and  the  strength  of  his  counsel,  he  seldom  asked  his 
advice  and  never  looked  to  him  for  assistance  in 
troubles  or  problems  connected  with  the  work  of  his 


36  A  FISHER  Oh   MEN. 

ministry.  He  would  freely  go  to  others  whom  he 
deemed  willing  and  capable  of  giving  advice,  but  he 
seems  to  have  shrunk  from  carrying  his  burdens  to 
those  nearest  to  him  by  the  tie  of  blood.  He  felt  pos- 
sibly, that  their  love  for  him  would  be  apt  to  bias 
their  judgment,  that  their  desire  to  relieve  him  would 
in  some  way  imperil  his  virility  or  tend  to  swerve 
him  from  following  the  path  which  he  had  mapped 
out  for  himself. 

Dr.  Satterlee,  after  detailing  the  conditions  which 
lie  had  found  in  Morganton,  advised  his  son  to  accept 
the  rectorship.  Satterlee  accordingly  wrote  to  the 
vestry  accepting  the  call,  and  soon  afterwards  took 
his  departure  for  his  new  field,  entering  upon  his 
work  there  early  in  September,  1894. 

Morganton,  which  is  situated  in  the  northwestern 
portion  of  the  State  of  North  Carolina  on  a  plateau 
lying  between  the  Blue  Ridge  and  the  South  Moun- 
tains, was  then  a  town  of  about  two  thousand  inhabi- 
tants. The  county  seat  of  Burke  County,  it  contains 
the  Court  House  and  Jail,  and  also  several  State 
institutions,  including  the  Hospital  for  the  Insane 
and  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum.  There  are  several 
small  manufacturing  concerns  in  the  village  and  a 
large  tannery,  but  tbe  main  interests  of  the  place  are 
agricultural.  The  surrounding  farms  are  owned 
mainly  by  small  proprietors.  Along  the  river  bot- 
toms the  soil  is  exceedingly  fertile,  but  otherwise  it 
is  poor,  and  especially  in  the  region  of  the  mountains 
yields  a  meagre  return  to  the  efforts  of  the  primitive 


MORGANTON.  37 

people  who  inhabit  this  section.  These  mountain 
folk  are  a  peculiar  people,  living  apart  by  themselves 
and  almost  wholly  untouched  by  the  tide  of  progress 
and  civilization.  As  Satterlee's  work  among  these 
people  comprises  the  most  interesting  and  picturesque 
side  of  his  missionary  labors,  a  description  of  their 
unique  characteristics  and  habits  is  reserved  for  a 
subsequent  chapter,  when  the  story  will  be  told  in 
detail. 

The  people  in  Morganton  are,  probably,  fairly 
representative  of  those  who  may  be  found  in  any 
small  Southern  town.  Besides  the  negro  population 
and  the  mechanic  and  small  tradesmen  class,  there  is 
a  sprinkling  of  the  old  "aristocratic"  element,  de- 
scended from  the  ante-bellum  planters  and  slave 
owners,  financially  ruined  by  the  war.  These  people 
have  bravely  accepted  the  situation  and  are  now 
employed  in  retrieving  their  fallen  fortunes  by  engag- 
ing in  professional  and  mercantile  pursuits  and  in 
working  their  farms.  This  class,  though  lacking 
many  of  the  educational  and  other  advantages  which 
wealth  gives,  has  jealously  preserved  the  traditions 
of  gentle  breeding  and  displays  fine  social  and  relig- 
ious instincts.  In  no  part  of  the  United  States  are  to 
be  found  better  representatives  of  a  genuine  if 
somewhat  old-fashioned  "aristocracy." 

It  was  mainly  people  of  this  class  that  composed 
the  congregation  of  Grace  Church,  and  to  whose 
homes  and  hearts  the  young  clergyman  from  the 
North  and  his  delicate,  fragile  wife  were  now  warmly 

456699 


38  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

made  welcome.  If  at  first  there  was  an  apprehension 
on  the  part  of  some  of  the  parishioners  that  the  new 
rector,  whose  life  had  hitherto  been  spent  in  and 
around  the  metropolitan  city  of  New  York,  and  who 
had  been  accustomed  to  enjoy  all  the  advantages  and 
luxurious  accessories  of  a  wealthy  and  cultivated 
society,  should  find  himself  unable  to  accept  the  con- 
ditions of  life  in  a  little  Southern  village, — such 
apprehension  was  soon  dispelled.  The  frank  hearty 
manner  in  which  he  met  their  advances  and  the  per- 
fect simplicity  of  his  bearing  and  character,  at  once 
disarmed  suspicion  and  won  an  immediate  place  for 
him  in  their  affections.  Satterlee  as  a  Northern  man, 
while  never  disguising  his  sentiments,  was  always 
punctilious  in  refraining  from  utterances  which 
might  wound  the  political  susceptibilities  of  his  par- 
ishioners. As  one  of  the  members  of  his  parish 
remarked  to  the  writer,  "We  never  could  have 
believed  that  we  could  love  a  Northern  man,  but  Mr. 
Satterlee  somehow  never  seemed  to  us  to  be  one.  We 
really  got  to  think  of  him  as  quite  one  of  ourselves." 
A  distinguished  Southern  clergyman,  now  domi- 
ciled in  the  North,  who  knew  Satterlee  intimately 
and  was  familiar  with  his  work  in  both  of  his  South- 
ern parishes,  stated  his  conviction  that  Satterlee's 
success  in  his  work  among  Southern  people  was  little 
short  of  marvellous.  "I  am  a  Southern  man,"  he 
said,  "and  I  know  the  Southern  people,  and  I  do  not 
understand  how  a  Northern  man  was  able  to  accom- 
plish such  results." 


MORGANTON.  39 

But  perhaps  after  all,  there  was  nothing  really 
remarkable  about  the  matter,  and  the  simple  explana- 
tion is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  Satterlee  possessed 
that  distinguishing  trait  of  the  gentleman,  which 
some  one  has  designated  as  the  "unwillingness  to 
give  pain  to  others."  ''He  was  a  gentleman,"  said 
one  of  the  oldest  members  of  his  parish,  himself  a 
fine  representative  of  the  old  regime,  "and  we  are 
gentlemen,  and  we  both  appreciated  our  mutual  obli- 
gations." 

The  rectory  was  an  old  building  containing  only 
three  rooms,  and  badly  out  of  repair.  Satterlee  was 
compelled  to  rent  a  house  until  a  new  one  could  be 
built.  He  offered  to  raise  among  his  friends  in  the 
North  a  certain  proportion  of  the  money  necessary 
to  defraying  the  cost  of  a  new  rectory,  and  the  people 
promised  to  provide  the  remainder.  The  following 
March  a  house  costing  about  $1,500  was  built  and 
paid  for  and  was  immediately  occupied  by  the  rector 
and  his  wife. 

Satterlee's  first  endeavor  was  to  build  up  the  parish 
organization  and  to  improve  the  services.  The  par- 
ish hitherto  had  been  quite  content  to  go  on  the  even 
tenor  of  its  way,  living  its  own  little  exclusive  life 
and  satisfied  to  provide  a  religious  home  merely  for  its 
own  members.  Little  if  any  effort  had  been  made  to 
draw  in  others  from  outside.  As  one  of  the  members 
phrased  it.  "Until  Mr.  Satterlee  came  we  were  an 
exclusive  religious  club,  and  rather  prided  ourselves 
upon  the  fact."     But  this  was  not  Satterlee's  notion 


40  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

of  parish  obligations.  The  other  Christian  bodies 
represented  in  the  community  were  the  Presbyter- 
ians, the  Methodists  and  the  Baptists.  There  was  no 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  indeed,  it  is  said,  that  there 
were  only  four  Roman  Catholics  in  the  whole  town. 
But  as  in  every  other  place  so  in  Morganton,  there 
were  not  a  few  who  had  no  religious  affiliation.  It 
was  these  shepherdless  sheep  that  he  sought  to  draw 
into  his  fold.  It  was  by  getting  the  children  that  he 
felt  he  could  best  win  their  parents.  Accordingly,  he 
devoted  his  first  efforts  to  increasing  the  Sunday- 
school.  He  introduced  a  vested  boy  choir  as  soon  as 
he  was  able  to  do  so,  and  thus  got  hold  of  a  growing 
contingent  of  lads,  many  of  whom  had  previously 
had  no  connection  with  the  parish.  He  trained  them 
himself.  Later  on  he  formed  these  lads  and  others 
like  them  into  a  Junior  Branch  of  the  Brotherhood  of 
St.  Andrew,  and  found  appropriate  work  for  them  to 
do.  The  Sunday-school,  which  previously  had  been 
small  in  numbers,  began  to  grow  rapidly.  He  re- 
cruited scholars  wherever  he  was  able  to  do  so  with- 
out seeking  to  draw  them  away  from  the  religious 
body  to  which  they  were  attached.  Probably  one  of 
the  reasons  for  the  great  respect  and  friendliness 
which  those  belonging  to  other  Christian  bodies  felt 
for  him  was  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  he  made  no 
efforts  to  proselytize  from  their  ranks.  It  was  not 
that  he  depreciated  in  any  degree  the  claims  and 
advantages  of  the  Communion  to  which  he  belonged 
or  underestimated  its  catholic  character,  but  rather 


MORGANTOX.  41 

that  he  felt  there  was  a  sufficient  missionary  work 
for  him  to  do  in  gathering  in  those  who  owned  no 
religious  attachment.  But  if  he  did  not  seek  to  press 
home  upon  members  of  other  religious  bodies  the 
exclusive  claims  of  the  Church,  he  certainly  let  no 
opportunity  slip  for  showing  his  personal  interest  in 
any  who  he  thought  might  need  his  help,  regardless 
of  their  ecclesiastical  predilections.  As  a  minister  of 
Christ  and  a  true  fisher  of  men,  Satterlee  read  his 
commission  largely  and  was  ever  ready  to  extend  his 
sympathy  to  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men. 

The  story  is  told  of  his  paying  a  visit  to  a  certain 
woman  of  Methodist  antecedents  whose  husband  was 
lying  seriously  ill.  At  the  close  of  the  interview  the 
woman  informed  him  that  she  proposed  sending  her 
children  to  the  Sunday-school  of  Grace  Church. 
Some  of  her  Methodist  neighbors  who  had  been 
made  aware  of  his  visit  to  her,  and  who  entertained 
a  lurking  suspicion  regarding  the  disinterestedness 
of  his  motives  in  visiting  her,  ventured  to  intimate 
their  doubts. 

"I  reckon  that  Episcopal  preacher  is  a'trying  to 
proselyte  you,"  remarked  one  of  these  callers. 

"  Tisn't  so,"  was  the  indignant  rejoinder.  "I've 
been  here  over  three  years  now  and  no  preacher  but 
Mr.  Satterlee  has  ever  darkened  my  doors." 

It  is  needless  to  say  the  "Episcopal  preacher"  got 
that  family  for  good  and  all. 

Notwithstanding  numerous  incidents  of  this  char- 
acter, there  was  not  only  no  jealousy  of  Satterlee's 


42  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

influence,  but  evidence  of  the  warmest  personal 
regard  for  him  on  the  part  of  members  of  the  other 
Christian  bodies.  Indeed,  so  naturally  and  unob- 
trusively did  he  go  about  his  Master's  work,  and  so 
little  was  there  in  his  nature  of  sectarian  aggression, 
that  people  seemed  quite  to  forget  that  he  represented 
a  different  religious  body  from  that  to  which  they 
yielded  allegiance. 

As  one  woman  was  heard  to  remark  when  the  news 
of  his  death  reached  her,  "I  did  not  belong  to  his 
Church,  but  somehow  I  felt  that  he  belonged  to  me. 
He  never  made  you  think  that  you  belonged  to 
another  Church." 

Indeed,  a  prominent  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  speaking  of  their  new  pastor  and  desiring  to 
give  an  Episcopalian  friend  an  idea  of  the  kind  of 
man  he  was,  said,  "He  is  a  regular  Satterlee." 
Apparently  this  was  the  highest  encomium  he  could 
pass  upon  him. 

There  is  one  advantage  of  ministering  in  a  small 
community,  of  which  Satterlee  fully  availed  himself, 
namely,  the  opportunity  of  cultivating  close  and 
friendly  relations  with  those  outside  of  his  immediate 
parochial  circle.  He  constituted  himself  the  pastor 
of  all  who  had  no  definite  church  relationship  and 
many  are  the  stories  told  regarding  his  success  in 
capturing  those  who  had  hitherto  resisted  all  attempts 
to  land  them  within  the  meshes  of  the  Gospel  net. 

One  individual  in  particular,  known  as  the  "bad 
man"  of  the  community,  who  had  in  times  past  killed 


MORGANTON.  43 

his  man  and  whose  recklessness  and  desperate  char- 
acter caused  him  to  be  feared  and  shunned  by  all,  was 
so  won  over  by  Satterlee's  kindness  that  a  noticeable 
change  occurred  in  his  habits  and  disposition.  Peo- 
ple saw  and  remarked  the  effect  of  the  new  influence 
which  had  come  into  his  life.  Having  doggedly 
withstood  all  overtures  looking  to  the  religious  train- 
ing of  his  children  by  permitting  them  to  attend  a 
Sunday-school,  he  finally,  at  Satterlee's  solicitation, 
gave  his  consent  to  their  enrollment,  and  later  on  to 
their  baptism.  As  for  himself  he  could  not  be  per- 
suaded to  enter  the  church,  but  his  personal  relations 
with  the  rector  were  of  a  most  friendly  nature.  He 
was  a  giant  in  stature,  and  when  under  the  influence 
of  liquor  disposed  to  be  quarrelsome,  but  there  was  a 
chord  in  his  nature  which  Satterlee  was  able  to  touch 
and  which  quickly  responded  to  the  brotherly  sym- 
pathy of  the  young  clergyman.  Perhaps  it  was  the 
virile  quality  which  both  possessed  equally  which 
drew  them  to  each  other.  Perhaps  it  was  the  perfect 
simplicity  of  Satterlee's  character,  a  simplicity  appar- 
ent to  the  most  casual  observer.  The  secret  affinity 
which  two  characters,  seemingly  utterly  diverse,  are 
conscious  of  feeling  for  each  other  defies  analysis. 
The  parties  themselves  are  incapable  of  explaining  it. 
The  bond  exists  and  that  is  all  that  can  be  said.  The 
sequel  to  the  story  is  a  tragic  one.  Subseqeunt  to 
Satterlee's  removal  from  Morganton  this  man,  whose 
reformation,  partial  at  least,  was  certainly  due  to 
Satterlee's  influence  over  him.  was  shot  dead  on  his 


44  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

reappearance  in  the  town  alter  an  absence  of  some 
months,  it  appears  that  he  himself  was  unarmed, 
and,  so  far  as  anyone  knew,  was  not  seeking  any 
quarrel  with  his  slayer,  who  gave  as  his  reason  for 
his  cowardly  action  that  he  was  afraid  that  the  other 
intended  to  kill  him.  J  he  affair  at  the  time  was 
regarded  in  the  community  as  a  cowardly  murder, 
though  the  slayer,  owing  to  the  prevailing  laxity  of 
the  law  in  this  section,  escaped  all  punishment.  The 
murdered  man  as  he  lay  dying,  declared  that  he  had 
no  evil  intentions  against  his  slayer.  "Search  me, 
boys,"  he  said  to  those  who  had  gathered  about  him. 
"you  will  find  I  have  no  gun."  His  last  request  was 
that  his  little  children  might  be  brought  to  him  that 
he  might  kiss  them  before  he  died.  His  grief- 
stricken  widow  in  bemoaning  her  loss  repeatedly 
said,  "Oh,  if  only  AJr.  Satterlee  had  been  here,"  the 
thought  evidently  being  in  her  mind  that  he  might 
have  done  something  to  comfort  her  husband  in  his 
last  agony.  But  the  only  man  who  had  ever  been 
able  to  tame  his  fierce  nature  and  give  him  a  glimpse 
of  better  things  was  far  away! 

Satterlee's  influence  over  men  was  one  of  the 
distinguishing  gifts  of  his  personality.  He  was  able 
to  attract  them  and  attach  them  to  himself  in  the 
bond  of  a  strong  friendship.  It  had  been  so  from 
his  earliest  youth.  He  was  liked  by  all  sorts  and 
kinds  of  men. 

In  his  pastoral  work  lie  still  preserved  in  a  great 
degree  the  spirit  of  bonhomie  which  had  character-- 


MORGANTON.  45 

ized  his  associations  with  his  boy  friends  and  college 
chums.  If  he  never  forgot  that  he  was  the  pastor 
and  spiritual  guide  of  the  men  of  his  flock  and  they 
rightfully  looked  to  him  for  an  example  of  high 
ideals  and  lofty  living,  he  nevertheless  refused  to 
isolate  himself  from  them  by  the  assumption  of  any 
professional  aloofness  or  pseudo-sacerdotal  exclusive- 
ness.  If  he  was  a  priest,  he  was  first  of  all  a  man. 
If  he  was  the  pastor  he  was  also  the  friend  and  bon 
cantarade.  The  many  letters  that  were  received 
after  his  death  from  men  with  whom  he  had  been 
associated  are  illuminating  upon  this  point.  One 
writes : 

"His  presence  was  a  reproach  to  me  in  the  night 
watches  when  I  had  done  wrong,  and  this  was  but 
part  of  the  whole  effect  his  life  had  on  mine." 

Another  in  a  private  letter  addressed  to  a  friend 
and  evidently  written  out  of  the  fulness  of  his  heart, 
gives  utterance  to  the  weight  of  obligation  under 
which  he  felt  himself  to  be  placed  for  Satterlee's 
assistance  and  sympathy  extended  to  him  during  a 
spiritual  crisis : 

"Yours  just  to  hand,  and  it  was  the  first  news  I 
had  of  Mr.  Satterlee's  death.  It  is  indeed  a  great 
blow  to  me,  for  I  had  learned  to  love  him  as  a  father. 
The  Church  has  lost  a  priest,  the  community  a  rector.  • 
and  the  world  one  of  its  best  men  whose  life  was  a 
living  sacrifice  for  those  whom  he  loved. — and  he 
loved  all  men.  You  ask  me  to  write  a  tribute  to  him. 
1  cannot.     There  are  no  words  in  my  mean  vocabu- 


46  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

lary  that  will  come  to  the  rescue  of  my  thoughts  and 
feelings.  If  I  said  half  of  what  I  believe  of  him, 
the  world  would  think  me  extravagant,  therefore,  let 
it  be  unsaid.  There  is  one  scene  in  my  life  I  will 
never  forget,  and  the  remembrance  of  it  will  ever  be 
with  me  as  a  sweet  comforter,  even  if  I  be  in  hell.  It 
was  with  him.  I  had  made  a  confession  to  him  and 
was  waiting  to  hear  what  he  had  to  say;  the  tears 
were  rolling  down  my  cheeks  and  his,  until  finally  he 
smiled  through  his  tears  and  putting  his  arm  around 
me  said :  'Brace  up,  old  boy,  God  loves  you  more 
now  than  ever,  because  you  need  Him  more.'     I  tell 

you,  X ,  that  sentence  has  lingered  in  my  mind 

ever  since.  It  taught  me  more  Christianity  than  I 
had  learned  during  my  whole  life.  I  realized  more 
than  ever  before  what  I  had  often  heard  with  my 
ears  only,  that  God  is  love.  It  is  hard  to  realize  that 
he  is  gone,  in  fact,  I  don't  feel  that  he  is  gone.  I  can 
still  feel  him  with  me,  and,  in  fact,  he  seems  nearer 
to  me  than  ever  before.  I  believe  that  he  is  looking 
down  upon  me  this  instant,  and  perhaps  is  trying  to 
tell  me  something  that  I  ought  to  know.  I  can  now 
understand  how  the  Roman  Catholics  can  pray  to  the 
saints,  for  I  believe  he  would  hear  me  if  I  prayed  to 
him." 

Still  another  parishioner  writes : 

"I  loved  him,  and  I  feel  deeply  and  gratefully  his 
personal  influence.  In  him  I  thought  I  saw  'the 
beauty  of  holiness,'  and  he  drew  me,  softly  but 
strongly    toward    the    better    life.      I    loved    to    co- 


MORGANTON.  47 

operate  with  his  work,  because  I  always  felt  that 
co-operation  with  him  brought  blessing  to  myself. 
In  his  death  I  now  feel  that  a  light  has  gone  out  of 
my  own  life;  yet  I  earnestly  hope  that  the  influence 
of  his  friendship  and  example  may  long  abide  with 
me." 

A  prominent  member  of  the  Diocesan  Council  of 
the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew  belonging  to  another 
parish  in  the  diocese,  writes : 

"I  am  fully  aware  that  the  sorrow  I  feel,  should 
not  be  even  mentioned  along  with  your  grief,  but  I 
feel  that  yours  will  not  be  harder  to  bear  for  know- 
ing how  very  much  his  being  called  away  means  to 
so  many  of  us  men  who  had  gotten  into  the  habit  of 
looking  to  him,  and  pointing  to  him  as  an  ensample 
of  a  godly  life.  For  myself  I  have  been  deeply 
moved,  much  more  than  I  could  tell  you." 

The  tributes  to  Satterlee's  influence  over  the  men 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact  might  be  multiplied, 
but  these  examples  will  serve  to  show  how  deep  that 
influence  was.  They  are  introduced  at  this  stage  in 
the  narrative  rather  than  reserved  until  a  subsequent 
period,  because  much  of  the  work  which  he  was  able 
to  accomplish  cannot  be  understood  apart  from  the 
fact  of  his  ability  to  interest  men  in  his  projects  and 
inspire  them  with  a  measure  of  his  own  missionary 
spirit. 

In  August,  1895,  less  than  one  year  after  Satter- 
lee's acceptance  of  the  rectorship  of  the  parish,  the 
new   church,   the  mortgage  debt  having  been  paid, 


48  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

was  duly  consecrated  by  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese, 
and  the  rector  and  congregation  had  the  pleasure  of 
worshipping  in  an  edifice  free  from  all  encumbrance. 
The  church,  a  pretty  stone  building  seating  about 
four  hundred  people,  was  complete  in  all  details 
excepting  as  to  an  organ.  The  style  of  architecture 
was  pleasing  and  the  building  in  every  sense  appro- 
priate to  the  needs  of  a  village  congregation. 

Mrs.  Satterlee's  health  had  not  improved  to  the 
degree  that  had  been  expected  as  the  result  of  the 
change  of  climate.  Her  husband  had  taken  her  to 
Thomasville,  Ga.,  early  in  January.  1895,  in  the  hope 
that  the  milder  climate  of  that  well-known  health 
resort  might  prove  beneficial.  She  returned  to  Mor- 
ganton  in  March,  little  if  any  better,  and  it  soon 
became  apparent  to  her  husband  that  her  days  were 
numbered.  In  the  following  September  he  took  her 
to  New  York  where  she  died  at  the  home  of  her 
father  two  months  later,  November  the  third. 

The  motive  that  had  led  him  to  accept  work  in 
Morganton  had  now  ceased  to  operate  and  the  ques- 
tion of  his  return  thither  and  the  permanent  continu- 
ation of  his  labors  in  that  field  came  up  for  consider- 
ation. The  members  of  his  family  were  anxious 
that  he  should  settle  himself  in  some  place  in  closer 
proximity  to  themselves.  His  father,  then  rector  of 
Calvary  Church,  New  York,  refrained  from  offering 
any  advice  upon  the  matter.  But  members  of  his 
vestry  came  to  him  and  strongly  urged  that  he  should 
retain  his  son  in  the  capacity  of  an  assistant.     The 


MORGANTON.  49 

position  happened  to  be  vacant  just  at  that  time,  and 
the  vestry  stated  their  belief  that  "Churchill"  would 
fill  it  acceptably.  Dr.  Satterlee  broached  the  matter 
to  his  son,  stating  that  the  suggestion  had  emanated 
absolutely  from  the  vestry,  and,  that  while  the  idea 
was  gratifying  to  him,  he  should  never  himself  have 
dreamed  of  such  a  thing  as  mentioning  it.  Satterlee, 
although  deeply  touched  by  the  compliment  paid  him 
by  those  who  had  known  him  from  boyhood,  and 
realizing  that  his  rejection  of  the  offer  would  be  a. 
keen  disappointment  to  his  family,  yet  felt  obliged  to> 
decline.  The  work  in  Morganton  he  felt  was  his 
own,  the  prospects  of  future  usefulness  were  great, 
and  thus,  notwithstanding  his  natural  desire  to  enjoy 
the  companionship  of  his  family  and  old  friends  and 
the  advantages  of  city  life,  he  concluded  that  it  was 
his  duty  to  return  to  Morganton  and  continue  his 
labors  there. 

The  question  may  well  be  asked,  did  Satterlee 
regard  his  life  in  that  little  Southern  town  so  far 
removed  from  his  family  and  friends  and  lacking 
almost  all  the  social  and  intellectual  advantages  to 
which  he  was  accustomed,  in  the  light  of  a  sacrifice? 
Others  certainly  did.  But  for  himself  there  is  not 
the  slightest  doubt  that  he  cherished  no  such  idea. 
He  was  conscious  of  an  intense  joy  in  his  work.  No 
one  ever  heard  him  complain  of  the  hardness  of  his 
lot,  or  express  any  wish  for  a  more  conspicuous 
field  for  his  ministrations.  Besides  the  opportunity 
afforded  him  of  going  to  Calvarv  at  a  salary  double 


5o  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

that  which  he  received  at  Morganton,  he  had  as  time 
went  on  other  calls  to  important  parishes,  but  he  put 
them  all  aside,  perfectly  satisfied  to  remain  in  the 
little  remote  village  among  the  North  Carolina  moun- 
tains. As  evidence  of  Satterlee's  contentment  with 
his  humble  position  as  rector  of  Morganton,  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  a  letter  written  after  his  death 
by  an  influential  friend  of  his  living  in  the  suburbs 
of  Newr  York  City,  is  submitted : 

"Some  years  ago  there  were  two  or  three  parishes 
vacant  in  this  part  of  the  country,  and  as  I  knew 
some  of  the  people  I  thought  they  might  listen  to 
suggestions  from  me  as  to  the  rector  whom  they 
should  call.  I  wrote  to  Churchill  (he  was  at  Mor- 
ganton then),  asking  him  if  he  would  like  to  come 
this  way  again.  He  replied,  he  thought  his  health 
required  that  he  live  in  the  mountains,  but  disregard- 
ing that,  he  must  stand  by  the  work  that  came  to 
him,  that  he  was  not  ambitious  in  a  worldly  sense, 
but  very  anxious  to  do  well  and  faithfully  what  he 
found  before  him,  and  that  the  situation  in  which  he 
was  placed,  quite  satisfied  him  in  that  respect." 

When,  after  a  rectorship  of  six  years  he  finally 
accepted  the  call  to  Columbia,  he  was  confronted  by 
considerations  of  so  urgent  a  nature  that  he  did  not 
feel  he  could  conscientiously  refuse  to  go.  To  state 
these  now  would  be  to  anticipate  events. 

Satterlee  returned  to  Morganton  and  resumed  his 
duties  in  December,  a  month  after  his  wife's  death. 
A  young  man  between   whose  family  and  his  own 


MORGANTON.  5' 

there  existed  a  warm  attachment  and  in  whom  Sat- 
terlee,  for  his  own  sake,  took  a  deep  interest,  volun- 
teered to  accompany  him  to  Morganton  as  a  com- 
panion. Satterlee  gladly  accepted  the  offer,  and  the 
two  men  lived  together  in  the  rectory  until  the  fol- 
lowing spring. 

Satterlee's  nature  was  a  thoroughly  sociable  one. 
He  disliked  being  alone  and  he  always  managed 
during  the  years  that  he  spent  in  Morganton  subse- 
quent to  the  death  of  his  first  wife  and  before  his 
second  marriage,  to  have  some  friend  staying  with 
him.  This  arrangement  frequently  served"  a  double 
purpose,  it  provided  Satterlee  with  a  companion  in 
his  home  and  was  also  the  means  of  bringing  the 
visitor  under  influences  tending  to  his  betterment 
physically  and  morally.  Satterlee  had  a  very  tender 
spot  in  his  heart  for  young  men  who  seined  to  be 
deficient  in  the  will  power  to  resist  temptation.  The 
following  letter  written  by  a  gentleman  in  New  York, 
a  personal  friend  whom  he  often  consulted  in  regard 
to  such  cases  because  of  his  wide  experience  and 
great  success  in  dealing  with  them,  is  interesting  in 
that  it  contains  an  extract  from  one  written  by  Sat- 
terlee to  him  bearing  upon  this  very  matter.  The 
communication  is  addressed  to  Satterlee's  father : 

"Among  a  few  things  which  I  find  here,  is  a  letter 
written  to  me  from  Paris  in  August,  1896.  It  is  not 
a   long   letter   and    in    itself   is   unimportant,    but    in 

response  to  it,   T  sent  X (about  whom   it  was 

written),  to  Montreal.     After  I  had  done  this  and  on 


52  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

the  6th  of  September  following.  I  wrote  to  Churchill, 
saving  that  what  I  had  done  was  experimental;  that 
it  depended  a  good  deal  upon  X — —  himself,  that  1 
had  had  some  stubborn  fights  with  people  to  make 
them  keep  straight,  but  that  1  hoped  for  the  best,  and 
1  added,  'But  the  weary  hours  that  i  have  spent  over 
people  almost  discouraged  one  day,  cheered  the  next ; 
and  finally  seeing  them  emerge  strong,  accomplished 
and  self-reliant,  has  perhaps  made  me  believe,  that 
almost  any  man  with  ordinary  docility  can  be  brought 
to  his  level,  whatever  it  may  be.' 

"I  find  fastened  to  the  copy  of  this  letter,  this 
'Extract  from  letter  of  C.  S.  in  reply  to  mine  of  Sept. 
io.  1896.' 

"  'I  fully  share  the  sentiments  of  your  letter;  it  is 
discouraging  indeed  to  carry  a  load,  and  have  those 
for  whose  benefit  you  are  bearing  it,  unappreciative. 
indifferent,  almost  obstructive,  but  I  firmly  believe, 
that  under  such  circumstances,  perseverance,  courage, 
patient  endurance,  whether  they  lead  to  success  1  ir 
not,  mark  the  brightest  and  most  admirable  points  of 
a  Christian  life.'  " 

There  are  many  stories  current  in  Morganton 
regarding  Satterlee's  kind-heartedness  to  the  poorer 
members  of  his  flock.  A  colored  man,  who  had  once 
acted  as  sexton  of  the  church,  fell  ill,  and  was  regu- 
larly visited  by  the  rector.  Calling  one  evening,  Sat- 
terlee  found  the  wife  thoroughly  worn  out  from  lack 
of  sleep  due  to  a  long  vigil.  Noting  her  exhaustion. 
he  told  her  that  she  would  better  go  to  bed  and  leave 


MORGANTON.  53 

him  to  watch  over  her  husband.  After  much  per- 
suasion she  finally  consented,  and  he  remained  until 
the  next  morning.  In  relating  the  incident  after- 
wards to  one  of  the  ladies  belonging  to  the  parish, 
for  Satterlee,  of  course,  never  mentioned  the  matter, 
she  said,  "He's  the  bestest  white  man  I  ever  knowed." 

Here  is  an  incident  illustrative  of  his  shrewdness 
in  dealing  with  human  nature.  Satterlee  had  in  his 
employ  a  colored  boy,  John,  as  a  sort  of  man-of-all- 
work.  On  several  occasions  provisions  were  missed 
from  the  storeroom  and  suspicion  lighted  upon  John 
as  the  guilty  party.  Satterlee,  accordingly,  called 
the  boy  into  his  study,  and  without  accusing  him  of 
the  theft  frankly  told  him  that  certain  articles  were 
missing  and  asked  if  he  knew  anything  about  the 
matter.  John  denied  emphatically  that  he  had  any 
hand  in  their  disappearance.  Though  morally  cer- 
tain that  he  was  lying,  Satterlee  pressed  the  matter 
no  farther,  but  simply  asked  him  to  kneel  down  and 
say  a  prayer  with  him.  The  following  day  John 
returned  and  made  a  full  confession  that  it  was  he 
who  had  done  the  purloining.  "If  Mr.  Satterlee  had 
whipt  me,"  said  he  in  speaking  of  the  affair  to  an 
acquaintance,  "I  wouldn't  have  minded,  but  when  he 
just  prayed  with  me,  I  felt  so  mean  that  I  just  had 
to  go  and  confess." 

A  friend  of  Satterlee's  from  the  North,  who  spent 
some  time  with  him  in  Morganton  and  closely 
observed  his  work  there,  furnishes  the  following  dis- 
criminating account  of  his  methods  and  describes  the 


54  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

influence  of  his  personality  upon  his  parishioners  and 
the  community  at  large. 

"Satterlee  wanted  a  share  of  every  man's  work  to 
count  for  the  Church,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  was 
the  keynote  of  his  ministry  at  Morganton.  The  great 
success  of  that  ministry  every  one  knows.  It  had  its 
beginnings  in  his  getting  right  at  the  people  both  in 
parish  church  and  mission  chapel,  and  asking,  'What 
are  we  here  for,  and  are  we  doing  what  we  are  here 
for  in  accordance  with  the  mind  of  Christ?'  Satter- 
lee's  work  began  where  many  another's  has  left  off. 
Instead  of  going  back  to  his  study  to  write  a  sermon 
for  the  next  Sunday,  he  would  stay  out  among  the 
people  whom  he  had  set  thinking  (many  doubtless 
for  the  first  time  in  their  lives)  and  follow  up  the 
argument  with  each  one  individually  as  circum- 
stances permitted.  He  never  let  a  chance  go  by  to 
speak  to  anyone  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  but 
he  never  thrust  himself  upon  one;  rather  men  were 
drawn  towards  him  by  his  personal  magnetism.  Once 
he  had  spoken,  an  interest  was  kindled  in  the  rough- 
est nature  which  lasted  until  friendship  took  its  place, 
not  merely  personal  friendship,  but  that  which  in 
many  cases  led  to  union  with  the  Church. 

"I  heard  Satterlee  once  say,  that  he  thought  a  min- 
ister of  the  Episcopal  Church  ought  to  be  and  had  an 
opportunity  to  be  the  most  influential  man  in  a  com- 
munity. That  whatever  of  honor  and  attainment 
attached  to  other  professions  so  much  and  more 
besides   was   in  the  grasp  of  the  clergyman   to  be 


MORGANTON.  55 

wielded  as  a  power  for  good,  if  he  only  would  appre- 
ciate it.  He  said  that  one  of  his  greatest  joys  would 
be  to  see  the  Episcopal  Church  take  its  place  as  the 
National  Church  in  this  country,  and  that  this  could 
only  be  brought  about  by  the  best  educated  men  going 
into  the  ministry  and  building  up  weak  communities. 
AYhether  Satterlee  appreciated  it  or  not,  the  fact  is, 
he  was  far  and  away  the  most  influential  man  in  his 
community. 

"At  Morganton  he  took  hold  of  a  parish  that  had 
been  quietly  drifting.  With  his  great  ability  as  an 
organizer  he  soon  gathered  up  the  loose  ends,  started 
all  the  machinery  of  a  well  established  church  plant, 
organized  the  Brotherhood,  assembled  the  guilds, 
founded  outlying  missions,  all  at  what  great  personal 
effort  and  sacrifice  only  those  who  have  seen  the  work 
going  on  know.  His  tireless  energy  soon  accom- 
plished results  which  would  have  satisfied  most  men. 
But  with  Satterlee  to  carry  on  the  routine  work  of  a 
live  parish  was  not  enough.  He  made  the  people 
realize  that  they  themselves  constituted  the  parish, 
were  an  integral  part  of  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Church,  and  that  they  must  look  beyond  their  own 
narrow  boundaries  and  take  their  share  of  the 
responsibilities  of  the  Church  at  large.  This  he 
brought  about  almost  unconsciously  by  the  direct 
influence  of  his  own  interest  in  foreign  as  well  as 
domestic  affairs. 

"Deeply  as  he  was  engaged  in  the  work  of  his  own 
parish,  he  nevertheless  kept  abreast  of  all  that  was 


56  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

going  on  in  the  Church  outside.  I  have  seen  him 
walk  up  the  street  from  the  post  office  with  three  or 
four  laymen  reading  aloud  to  them  news  of  the  Gen- 
eral Convention  at  Washington ;  and  when  the 
divorce  question  was  being  argued  the  general  dis- 
cussions which  took  place  on  the  piazza  upon  the 
receipt  of  the  newspapers  just  before  dinner,  were 
quite  alarming  in  length  to  those  whose  appetites 
were  well  sharpened. 

"Satterlee's  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  day  was 
no  less  broad,  especially  in  politics  and  law.  At  one 
time  we  took  our  meals  at  the  house  of  the  postmas- 
ter. Morganton  being  an  important  point  in  western 
North  Carolina,  we  had  an  opportunity  to  meet  there 
many  politicians,  lawyers  and  travellers.  One  day  it 
w<  »uld  be  the  junior  United  States  Senator,  another, 
the  general  attorney  for  the  Southern  Railway,  and 
on  another  occasion  the  Governor  of  the  State,  to 
say  nothing  of  lesser  lights.  The  conversations  on 
various  subjects  which  took  place  in  free  Southern 
manner  under  these  circumstances,  were  most  enjoy- 
able, and  at  such  times  Satterlee  showed  his  extreme 
breadth  of  view,  being  a  moderate  talker,  a  good 
listener,  and  always  ready  to  tell  his  story  in  turn. 

"Another  thing  which  had  a  direct  bearing  on  his 
inlluence  in  the  community  was  the  fact  that  being 
among  Southerners,  he  did  not  just  settle  down  in 
Morganton  and  break  off  all  connections  with  his 
home  and  friends  in  the  North.  He  never  forgot  his 
old  friends  and  associations,  and  when  vacation  time 


MORGANTON.  57 

came,  he  was  ready  and  anxious  to  drop  work  and  go 
North  again.  The  people  had  a  much  greater  respect 
for  him  to  feel  that  he  was  taking  part  in  affairs  out- 
side their  own  narrow  circle,  and  were  all  the  more 
glad  to  welcome  him  hack.  I  have  often  noticed  how 
proud  his  parishioners  were  to  have  a  man  so  broad- 
minded  and  a  Northern  man  as  their  rector." 


CHAPTER  III. 

A  COUNTRY  PARISH  AT  WORK. 

Satterlee's  intimate  knowledge  of  the  working 
of  parochial  machinery  which  he  had  acquired  during 
his  many  years'  experience  in  Calvary  Church,  now 
stood  him  in  good  stead,  and  he  proceeded  to  organ- 
ize the  forces  of  his  little  country  parish  for  effective 
work.  It  is  probable  that  he  inherited  in  a  large 
measure  the  gift  of  organizing  ability  which  his 
father  so  conspicuously  displayed.  But  it  is  one 
thing  to  develop  the  life  of  a  city  parish  where  the 
material  lies  ready  to  hand  and  where  the  parochial 
rivalry  engendered  by  the  proximity  of  competing 
churches  is  acute  and  pressing,  and  quite  another 
thing  to  create  out  of  the  rawest  of  raw  material  the 
agencies  for  effective  work,  and  muster  and  direct 
forces  which  hitherto  have  never  been  employed  in 
such  capacities.  In  both  cases  it  is,  of  course,  requi- 
site for  success,  that  he  to  whom  the  responsibility  of 
leadership  is  committeed  should  possess  the  true  mis- 
sionary spirit  and  the  ability  to  inspire  others  with  a 
measure  of  his  own  enthusiasm.  But  in  the  case  of  a 
large  city  parish  there  are  always  to  be  found  those 
who  have  had  some  experience  in  religious  work  and 

58 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  59 

whose  aptitudes  and  previous  training  render  them 
skillful  auxiliaries.  The  spectacle  of  the  work  being 
done  in  adjacent  parishes  serves  also  as  an  incentive 
and  stimulates  a  generous  rivalry  in  a  common  cause. 
Then  environment  counts  for  much  and  the  quick 
pulse-beat  of  a  great  city  where  life  and  activity  in 
all  departments  of  effort  are  at  the  flood  tide  com- 
municates itself  in  some  degree  to  all  and  stirs  up 
even  the  least  zealous  Christian  to  a  consciousness  of 
his  responsibilities. 

On  the  other  hand,  in  a  country  parish  remote  from 
the  influences  of  church  life  in  the  great  centres,  and 
where  the  current  of  existence  flows  sluggishly,  the 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  organizing  the  forces  and 
maintaining  the  interest  are  proportionately  great. 

Satterlee  was  too  wise  to  fall  into  the  mistake  so 
commonly  made  by  those  who  have  received  their 
early  training  in  a  highly  organized  city  parish  of 
attempting  to  work  a  rural  parish  upon  identical 
lines,  forgetting  that  the  conditions  which  obtain  in 
the  country  are  wholly  different.  What  he  did  was 
to  adapt  the  methods  which  he  had  learned  to  the 
peculiar  circumstances  of  the  case.  He  organized 
the  forces  at  his  disposal  to  do  some  definite  work 
which  needed,  in  his  opinion,  to  be  done.  He  did  not 
have  organizations  for  their  own  sake  or  because 
they  looked  well  on  paper.  Moreover,  he  did  not 
expect  the  organizations  to  work  themselves.  He 
realized  that  the  power  behind  all  organization  was 
a  personal  one,  and  he  sought,  therefore,  to  enlist  the 


6o  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

services  of  the  best  persons  in  his  parish.  While  he 
never  shirked  the  responsibility  which  his  position  as 
rector  involved,  neither  did  he  fall  into  the  opposite 
error  of  regarding  himself  as  absolute  dictator.  As 
one  of  his  workers  said  of  him,  "lie  never  said  1  but 
always  we."  Co-operation  was  his  motto.  If  he  was 
always  the  leader  in  every  enterprise,  he  yet  took  his 
workers  into  his  fullest  confidence.  Xo  step  of 
importance  was  ever  taken  until  the  matter  had  been 
discussed  with  them  in  all  its  aspects.  That  he  so 
admirably  succeeded  in  carrying  out  the  plans  which 
he  undertook  was  undoubtedly  due  to  this  fact.  That 
the  rector  wanted  to  do  a  certain  thing  and  do  it  in  a 
certain  way  was  sufficient.  The  corps  of  workers 
which  he  succeeded  in  gathering  about  him  gave  him 
their  fullest  support,  because  they  instinctively  felt 
that  he  regarded  the  work  as  much  theirs  as  his  own. 
The  record  of  what  was  accomplished  in  a  few  short 
years  by  the  little  band  of  workers  in  this  remote 
country  town,  seems  little  short  of  marvellous,  and 
simply  shows  how  one  forceful  personality  was  able 
to  permeate  the  life  of  a  whole  community  and  stimu- 
late others  to  deeds  of  devotion  and  self-sacrifice. 

The  men  and  women  through  whom  he  was  able 
to  achieve  these  results  were  not  different  presuma- 
bly in  character  and  ability  from  those  who  may  be 
found  elsewhere  in  similar  localities.  Previous  to 
his  coming  among  them,  they  had  been  wont  to 
regard  their  Christian  obligations  in  the  light  of  what 
may   be   termed   purely   "personal    religion."      Their 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  61 

horizon  of  Christian  duty  was  bounded  by  the  limits 
of  their  own  parochial  life.  Doubtless  they  were 
pious,  God-fearing  men  and  women  to  whom  the 
Episcopal  Church  represented  an  inheritance  which 
had  come  down  to  them  from  a  venerable  past,  which 
appealed  to  their  sense  of  loyalty  and  satisfied  their 
religious  aspirations.  They  regarded  it  doubtless,  as 
furnishing  a  centre  about  which  clustered  their  relig- 
ious and  social  life,  and  they  clung  to  it  with  a  deep 
affection.  The  thought  that  they  were  in  any  degree 
trustees  having  in  their  possession  a  treasure  which 
it  was  their  bounden  duty  to  share  with  others  less 
favored  than  themselves,  probably  never  crossed  their 
minds.  In  saying  this  there  is  no  intention  of  casting 
any  aspersion  upon  their  Christian  character.  Far 
from  it.  Such  an  attitude,  unfortunately,  is  by  no 
means  singular.  In  fact,  it  is  that  which  prevails 
almost  everywhere.  The  only  reason  for  referring  to 
it  here,  is  because  it  serves  to  bring  into  stronger 
contrast  the  change  of  spirit  which  subsequently  came 
over  them  under  the  impulse  of  Satterlee's  example 
and  enthusiasm.  The  philanthropic  and  missionary 
work  which  the  people  of  this  country  parish  were  to 
accomplish  in  the  next  few  years  is  remarkable  chiefly 
as  showing  what  it  is  possible  to  do  when  the  latent 
energies  of  a  handful  of  Christian  people  have  been 
stirred  into  activity  under  a  consecrated  and  devoted 
spiritual  leader. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  for  any  right  understand- 
ing of  the  situation,   that  the  parish   was  weak   in 


62  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

numbers  and  contained  few  persons  of  any  means. 
The  salary  of  six  hundred  dollars  paid  the  rector, 
will  serve  as  a  rough  test  of  its  financial  strength. 

It  is  true  that  church  statistics  have  only  a  relative 
value  and  cannot  properly  serve  as  a  criterion  of  spir- 
itual work,  yet  the  growth  of  the  parish  during  the 
six  years  of  his  pastorate  affords  striking  evidence  of 
the  success  of  his  ministrations.  In  a  community 
where  the  increase  of  population  is  small,  the  oppor- 
tunity for  the  growth  of  the  Church  is  usually 
restricted.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  popu- 
lation in  Morganton  increased  but  slightly  during  the 
six  years  covered  by  Satterlee's  residence  there,  the 
Church  nearly  trebled  the  number  of  its  communi- 
cants. He  found  barely  80  communicants  when  he 
began  his  labors,  and  when  he  left  there  were  215  on 
the  roll.  The  Sunday-school,  which  had  40  scholars 
when  he  came,  increased  its  numbers  to  145.  The 
number  of  persons  baptized  by  him  was  275,  being 
an  average  of  nearly  50  for  each  year  of  his  pastor- 
ate. In  addition  to  paying  a  debt  upon  the  church 
edifice  of  $1,500  and  building  a  rectory  costing  a 
like  sum,  the  parish  purchased  a  new  pipe  organ  at  a 
cost  of  $1,500,  and  maintained  a  parish  day  school 
at  a  cost  of  about  $400  a  year.  A  day  school  for 
colored  children  was  also  started  and  supported 
largely  through  Satterlee's  efforts.  A  night  school 
for  children  and  grown  persons  employed  during  the 
day  was  established  in  the  factory  district,  members 
of  the  parish    serving  gratuitously  as  the  teachers. 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  63 

A  club  for  working  men  was  organized,  and  a  St. 
Cecilia  Singing  Society  formed,  composed  of  musical 
people  drawn  from  the  whole  community,  and  over 
which  Satterlee  himself  presided  as  conductor.  Be- 
sides these  enterprises  educational  and  philanthropic, 
which  were  all  initiated  by  him  and  carried  on  under 
his  immediate  supervision  in  Morganton  proper,  he 
extended  the  field  of  his  labors  into  the  outlying  dis- 
tricts and  established  missions  of  a  permanent  char- 
acter for  the  benefit  of  the  neighboring  mountain 
folk.  These  various  missions  were  regularly  served 
on  Sundays  by  members  of  the  Brotherhood  of  St. 
Andrew,  assisted  by  the  women  of  the  parish. 
Chapels  were  erected  at  strategic  points  and  appro- 
priately furnished  for  the  purpose  of  holding  divine 
service,  and  attached  to  each  a  house  was  built  which 
served  as  the  home  for  a  teacher,  who  taught  a  day 
school  composed  of  the  children  of  mountain  fami- 
lies. The  money  to  erect  these  buildings  was  all 
raised  by  him  personally,  and  the  funds  to  provide  for 
their  maintenance  and  for  the  salaries  of  the  teachers 
whom  he  employed  in  the  day  schools,  were  also 
obtained  through  his  efforts. 

It  is  estimated  that  Satterlee  must  have  raised  from 
sources  outside  of  Morganton  from  ten  to  twelve 
thousand  dollars  during  the  six  years  of  his  pas- 
torate. This  sum  he  obtained  almost  exclusively 
from  the  North  through  personal  solicitation.  He 
was  accustomed  annually  to  take  a   vacation  of  a 

month   or   six   weeks   during  the   summer,   and   he 

5 


64  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

devoted  much  of  this  time  to  canvassing  for  sub- 
scriptions to  his  work.  It  was  a  task  which  he  par- 
ticularly abhorred,  for  he  was  naturally  of  a  shy  and 
sensitive  disposition  and  little  relished  interviewing 
strangers  on  such  an  errand.  Upon  being  asked  once 
how  he  managed  to  get  so  much  money,  he  replied, 
"Oh,  by  ringing  door  bells  and  writing  letters."  "Of 
course  I  am  often  snubbed,"  he  added.  It  was  only 
his  conviction  of  the  absolute  necessity  laid  upon  him 
of  securing  money  to  carry  on  his  work,  that  induced 
him  to  persevere  in  a  task  so  uncongenial.  The  suc- 
cess he  met  with  was  remarkable.  He  seldom  went 
to  personal  friends  unless  driven  to  extremity,  and 
rarely  to  those  connected  with  his  father's  parish. 
He  made  his  appeals  rather  to  strangers.  He  avoided 
the  use  of  letters  of  introduction,  preferring  to  play 
his  own  hand.  It  was  his  wont  in  calling  upon  a 
prospective  giver  to  state  his  object  in  the  shortest 
terms  possible,  saying  that  he  would  like  to  tell  his 
story,  but  would  not  press  the  matter  if  there  was  no 
disposition  to  accord  him  a  hearing.  If  he  was  per- 
mitted to  proceed,  he  seldom  went  away  without 
having  accomplished  his  purpose.  Doubtless  his 
earnestness,  enthusiasm,  and  the  evident  absence  of 
any  self-seeking,  were  among  the  chief  causes  of  his 
success.  Gradually  he  built  up  a  clientele  of  his  own 
and  secured  many  regular  subscribers  whom  he  kept 
informed  periodically  regarding  the  progress  of  his 
work.     He  seems  never  to  have  been  compelled  to 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  65 

abandon  any  enterprise  because  of  his  inability  to 
secure  the  funds  required. 

The  director  of  the  parish  branch  of  the  Brother- 
hood of  St.  Andrew,  who  was  also  a  vestryman  of 
the  church,  furnishes  an  estimate  of  the  amount  of 
money  raised  by  Satterlee  from  outside  sources, 
coupled  with  the  statement  that  there  was  much  more, 
spent  by  him  of  which  no  record  is  available : 

Three  Chapels $1,200  00 

Three  Mission  Houses 1,800  00 

Towards  new  Organ 800  00 

Towards  new  Rectory 300  00 

Towards  Church  Debt 800  00 

Salaries  of  various  teachers  in 

parish  and  mission  stations.  .  5,000  00 

$9,900  00 

"This  money,"  he  declares,  "was  so  quietly  col- 
lected that  we  never  knew  where  it  came  from." 

It  might  be  noted  here  that  there  was  another 
chapel  built,  making-  four  in  all,  the  cost  of  which 
was  defrayed  by  the  Morganton  people  themselves. 
This  was  the  first  erected,  and  was  called  St. 
Andrew's  after  the  Brotherhood.  This  chapel  was 
subsequently  sold  and  the  mission  abandoned  owing 
to  the  small  attendance  and  the  desire  to  concentrate 
energies  in  more  promising  fields.  Satterlee  also 
established  a  fifth  Mission  known  as  Quaker  Mead- 
ows, which  has  since  grown  into  an  important  work 
and  now  possesses  its  own  permanent  chapel. 


66  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

The  women  of  the  parish  were  organized  into 
various  societies,  along  the  usual  lines.  There  was  a 
Chancel  Guild  which  looked  after  the  interior  of  the 
church,  keeping  the  sanctuary  in  order  and  having 
charge  of  the  communion  vessels.  The  Woman's 
Auxiliary  included  a  visiting  branch  which,  under 
the  rector's  supervision,  made  regular  calls  upon  the 
poor  and  the  sick  and  presented  a  weekly  report  to 
him.  A  sewing  society  made  articles  and  sold  them 
for  the  benefit  of  the  parish  and  also  provided  the 
furnishings  for  the  chancel  and  the  clergy  and  choir 
vestments.  For  little  girls,  there  was  a  society  called 
the  "Busy  Bees,"  which  did  work  suited  to  their 
abilities.  Several  of  the  women  and  older  girls  regu- 
larly went  out  to  the  missions,  acting  as  teachers  in 
the  Sunday-schools  and  helping  with  the  singing. 
The  young  boys  were  organized  into  a  junior  branch 
of  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew,  and  appropriate 
work  was  found  for  them  in  keeping  the  church  yard 
neat  and  clean. 

The  rector  published,  with  the  help  of  others,  a 
monthly  parish  paper,  known  as  "The  Crusader," 
which  had  a  successful  career.  As  it  was  the  only 
Church  paper  published  in  the  missionary  jurisdic- 
tion of  Asheville,  its  circulation  was  soon  widely 
extended,  and  it  finally  became  the  recognized  organ 
of  the  jurisdiction. 

The  exceptional  missionary  and  philanthropic 
work  which  Satterlee  accomplished  was  made  possi- 
ble only  through  his  enlistment  of  laymen  and  their 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  67 

organization  in  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew. 
Satterlee  had  himself  joined  this  society  when  in 
Calvary  Church  and  was  a  firm  believer  in  its  aims 
and  methods.  He  realized  that  only  by  securing  the 
interest  and  co-operation  of  the  leading  men  of  his 
parish  could  he  secure  the  results  he  desired.  He  saw 
also  that  when  once  organized  he  must  find  some 
definite  and  positive  work  for  them  to  do,  work, 
moreover,  which  they  would  feel  was  worthy  of  their 
best  efforts.  Accordingly,  shortly  after  assuming 
charge  of  the  parish  he  called  together  several  of  the 
prominent  laymen  whom  he  felt  he  could  depend 
upon  to  second  his  efforts,  and  effected  an  organiza- 
tion. The  first  meeting  was  held  on  June  6,  1895, 
when  three  members  were  initiated.  In  the  course 
of  the  month  the  society  had  increased  to  fourteen 
members,  and  was  ready  to  do  aggressive  work.  The 
by-laws  adopted  provided  for  a  regular  weekly  meet- 
ing, and  it  is  interesting  to  note,  that  for  the  years 
Satterlee  remained  in  Morganton,  this  rule  was 
punctually  observed.  On  the  rector's  initiative,  the 
Chapter  adopted  the  following  special  rules,  which 
were  incorporated  into  the  by-laws  under  the  head- 
ing "Suggestions"  : 

"j.  To  attend  the  early  celebration  of  the  Holy 
Communion  in  a  body  on  the  fourth  Sunday  in  the 
month ;  to  bear  in  mind  especially  at  that  time,  the 
spread  of  Christ's  Kingdom  among  young  men,  and 
particularly  in  Morganton. 

"2.    To  connect  myself  with  the  Sunday-school  as 


68  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

teacher  or  with  the  Bible  Class  as  member,  or  to 
attend  the  mission  to  be  carried  on  by  the  Brother- 
hood. 

"3.  To  remember  not  only  in  Church  worship,  but 
at  all  times,  the  responsibility  of  my  example,  not 
merely  as  a  Brotherhood  man  and  a  Churchman,  but 
as  a  'member  of  Christ,  the  child  of  God  and  an 
inheritor  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.'  ' 

The  personnel  of  the  Brotherhood  was  undoubt- 
edly one  of  the  chief  factors  in  the  success  which 
marked  its  efforts.  The  members  were  among  the 
leading  men  in  the  parish  and  the  community.  Sev- 
eral of  them  belonged  to  the  vestry.  All  were  men 
of  probity  and  many  among  them  were  men  of 
mature  years.  Among  their  number  were  lawyers, 
merchants,  business  men.  and  one  was  a  retired 
officer  of  the  British  army. 

The  members  of  the  Brotherhood  were  divided 
into  different  committees,  to  which  were  assigned 
various  duties.  Some  visited  men  in  their  homes, 
and  called  on  strangers  at  the  hotels.  Others  wel- 
comed visitors  to  the  services  and  acted  as  ushers. 
Others  taught  in  the  parish  Sunday-school  and  that 
of  the  colored  church.  Several  gave  their  services  as 
teachers  in  the  night  school,  while  others  conducted 
services  on  Sundays  in  the  county  jail  and  alms- 
house,—and  still  others,  when  the  missions  in  the 
mountains  were  established,  acted  as  lay  readers  or 
teachers  in  the  Sunday-schools.  All  stood  ready  to 
assist  the  rector  in  any  good  work  which  he  desired 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  69 

to  do.  The  records  of  the  society  were  carefully  kept 
and  the  minutes  of  the  weekly  meetings  fill  three 
good-sized  books.  Reports  in  detail  of  work  done 
were  made  at  the  weekly  meetings  by  the  members 
and  matters  of  interest  were  talked  over.  A  report 
covering  the  work  for  the  year  accomplished  was 
annually  compiled  by  the  secretary.  One  of  these 
reports,  that  for  the  year  ending  Easter,  1897,  is  here 
given,  as  furnishing  an  idea  of  the  character  and 
magnitude  of  the  Brotherhood's  labors. 

Number  of  members,  14. 

Chapter  meetings  every  Friday. 

Corporate  Communion  fourth  Sunday  in  month. 

Visitation  of  the  sick. 

Hotel  visited  for  strangers. 

Jail  visited  weekly. 

Lent  services  at  noon  in  Court  House  twice  a 
week,  attendance  600. 

Night  school  twice  a  week,  average  attendance  30, 
some  grown  people. 

Services  at  St.  Stephen's  Church  (colored)  every 
Sunday  night,  average  attendance  20 ;  Sunday-school 
average  attendance  30. 

Services  conducted  without  rector,  350. 

Missions  served  as  follows : 

St.  Andrew's,  y]/2  miles  from  town,  services  50, 
attendance  1,500. 

Good  Shepherd,  3^  miles  from  town,  services  51, 
attendance  3,300. 

(Day  school,  night  school  twice  a  week,  sewing 


7o  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

class  twice  a  week,  prayer  service  twice  a  week.  Bap- 
tisms 21.) 

St.  George's,  6l/2  miles  from  town,  services  49, 
attendance  5.300. 

Total  attendance,  10,100. 

Rain  Hill,  15  miles  from  town,  services  all  during 
summer;  Sunday-school  25  average  attendance,  at 
Church  services  50. 

Total  number  of  miles  driven,  2,000. 

In  the  report  of  work  for  the  following  year,  the 
number  of  baptisms  at  missions  is  given  at  33  and 
confirmation  at  20;  Lay  readers  2;  Catechists  4; 
Sunday-school  teachers  2;  Bible  class  teachers  2; 
Educational  Committee  6;  Hospitality  Committee  7. 
The  average  attendance  at  the  weekly  chapter  meet- 
ing is  stated  as  being  7  1-3. 

The  former  director  of  the  Brotherhood  writes  as 
follows  in  regard  to  the  mutual  relations  of  the  rec- 
tor and  the  members  of  the  Society : 

"Mr.  Satterlee  was  at  his  best  in  the  Brotherhood 
meetings.  Nowhere  else  did  he  seem  so  free  from  a 
restraint  which  clung  to  him  in  the  pulpit  and  even 
in  private  conversation.  There  he  was  almost  boyish 
in  his  freedom,  while  at  no  time  losing  sight  of  the 
paramount  duty  incident  to  the  meeting.  There  was 
never  a  need  to  remind  members  of  the  time  of 
assembling.  If  they  could  come,  they  came,  and 
largely,  it  must  be  owned,  to  enjoy  association  with 
him.     The  vestry  room  of  the  church  was  usually 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  n 

chosen  as  the  meeting  place,  especially  in  the  winter 
season. 

"The  general  mission  work  of  the  parish  was  the 
chief  standing  theme  of  talk  and  action,  though  the 
individual  reports  of  weekly  work  were  at  all  times 
interesting,  and  often  humorous. 

"The  rector  had  a  wonderful  knack  of  bringing 
modest  members  to  the  front  and  having  them 
express  opinions  upon  the  matter  in  hand.  His  open- 
ing and  closing  of  the  meetings  was  most  tender, 
affectionate  and  touching. 

"I  am  sure  the  men  entered  into  it  with  more  heart 
there  than  elsewhere,  and  that  thoughts  were  born 
which  will  live  always." 

Of  course,  Satterlee  had  the  ordinary  experience 
of  clergymen  in  meeting  with  failures.  His  first 
Mission,  St.  Andrew's,  had  to  be  given  up  owing  to 
the  meagre  attendance  at  the  services.  The  Club  he 
organized  for  young  men  and  boys,  though  at  first 
promising  well,  was  subsequently  disbanded.  The 
Communicants'  Union,  which  he  tried  hard  to  keep 
going,  went  out  of  existence  owing  to  the  difficulty 
of  maintaining  the  interest.  But  the  failure  of  these 
and  other  enterprises  for  which  he  had  worked  hard, 
while  they  depressed  him  for  a  time,  were  powerless 
to  quench  his  enthusiasm.  He  was  always  looking  at 
the  bright  side,  not  merely  because  such  an  attitude 
was  in  accordance  with  his  temperament,  but  because 
he  conceived  it  a  religious  duty.  He  was  opposed 
sometimes  by  vestrymen  or  members  of  his  congre- 


72  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

gation,  through  pure  contrariness,  but  more  often 
through  the  natural  inertia  of  conservative  minds. 
This  opposition  had  a  peculiar  effect  upon  him.  He 
was  so  used  to  sympathize  that  he  tried  to  sympa- 
thize with  his  opposers, — at  least  so  far  as  to  put 
forth  the  effort  to  see  things  as  they  saw  them,  and 
even  to  see  himself  through  their  eyes.  The  conse- 
quence was,  that  his  opposers  gradually  grew  to 
realize  that  he  was  striving  to  find  points  of  union 
with  them,  rather  than  of  difference,  that  he  was 
anxious  to  be  absolutely  just,  and  that  he  was  actu- 
ally showing  more  consideration  for  them  than  he 
was  for  himself, — and  thus  they  usually  became 
ashamed  of  themselves  and  abandoned  their  attitude 
of  opposition.  Undoubtedly  also,  his  unfailing  gift 
of  seeing  things  in  a  humorous  way.  helped  him  to 
rob  opposition  of  its  asperity  and  prevent  controversy 
from  becoming  ill-natured. 

Doubtless  he  was  brought  more  keenly  in  contact 
with  failure  in  his  endeavors  to  reform  young  men 
whom  he  strove  to  assist.  Notwithstanding  repeated 
experiences  of  failure  on  the  part  of  those  in  whom 
he  specially  interested  himself,  he  never  seemed  to 
grow  discouraged,  but  was  always  hoping  better 
things  of  them.  One  young  man  whom  he  took  into 
his  own  house,  and  who  lived  with  him  in  the  rec- 
tory month  after  month,  kept  on  drinking,  notwith- 
standing every  promise  that  he  made,  and  when  he 
left  the  house  empty  whiskey  bottles  were  found  con- 
cealed in  all  parts  of  the  house. 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  73 

A  description  of  the  first  service  held  at  the  origi- 
nal mission  station  established  by  Satterlee  is  given 
by  a  member  of  the  parish,  a  lady  who  was  one  of  the 
chief  workers : 

"On  a  lovely  Sunday  afternoon  in  July  the  first 
mission  service  was  started  by  Mr.  Satterlee  at  a 
place  about  seven  and  one-half  miles  from  Morgan- 
ton — afterwards  called  St.  Andrew's.  Mr.  Satterlee 
had  one  Church  family  in  that  neighborhood,  and  he 
thought  by  having  a  mission  near  them,  he  could 
probably  gather  a  congregation.  He  asked  permis- 
sion to  use  an  old  log  cabin  for  the  services,  and  went 
out  the  week  before  the  first  appointed  service  and 
got  some  one  to  promise  to  make  necessary  repairs. 

"On  the  Sunday.  Mr.  Satterlee,  together  with  his 
organist  and  a  few  members  of  the  choir,  who  took 
with  them  a  small  portable  organ,  left  town  early  in 
the  afternoon.  They  had  to  cross  a  wide  and  treach- 
erous ford  on  the  Catawba  river  with  which  at  that 
time  he  was  not  familiar.  He  drove  too  straight 
across  and  got  into  deep  water,  but  the  horse  swam 
and  they  escaped  an  accident. 

"When  he  arrived  at  the  cabin  it  was  only  to  find 
that  the  needed  repairs  had  not  been  made  —  that 
looked  discouraging,  but  not  for  long.  Mr.  Satterlee 
soon  decided  it  would  be  even  pleasanter  to  have  the 
service  under  the  white  pine  trees  which  surrounded 
the  old  cabin  and  where  the  ground  was  covered 
several  inches  deep  with  dry  pine  needles.  What 
better  carpet  or  sweeter  one  could  we  have  had  ?    So 


74  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

we  brought  out  the  planks  and  improvised  benches, 
placed  the  organ  and  arranged  a  platform  for  Mr. 
Satterlee.  Then  we  seated  the  congregation  of  about 
twenty  people.  There  under  the  pine  trees  with  the 
rhododendrons  blooming  all  round  us  was  held  the 
first  service  of  the  first  mission  the  rector  established. 

"That  cabin  was  used  for  twelve  months,  but  was 
repaired  before  winter.  As  showing  its  condition  at 
first,  it  may  be  stated  that  the  lay  reader  and  organist 
on  arriving  a  few  minutes  late  one  day  were  greeted 
with,  'It  is  lucky  you  were  a  little  late;  a  few  minutes 
ago  we  just  happened  to  see  a  huge  black  snake  coiled 
up  under  your  seat  near  the  organ.'  It  had  crawled 
in  between  the  logs  of  the  cabin.  You  may  be  sure  I 
was  glad  I  was  late  that  afternoon." 

On  November  9,  1898,  Satterlee  contracted  a  sec- 
ond marriage,  wedding  Miss  Helen  Stuyvesant  Fol- 
som.  eldest  daughter  of  George  Winthrop  Folsom, 
Esq.,  of  New  York  City  and  Lenox,  Mass.  The 
ceremony  was  performed  in  Trinity  Church,  Lenox, 
by  Satterlee's  father,  the  Bishop  of  Washington, 
assisted  by  Bishop  Doane,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Battershall. 
of  Albany,  and  the  Rev.  Harold  Arrowsmith,  the 
rector  of  the  parish.  Satterlee  returned  at  once  to 
Morganton  with  his  bride.  Mrs.  Satterlee  entered 
enthusiastically  into  her  husband's  work,  her  quick 
sympathies  and  splendid  health  making  her  a  true 
helpmeet  in  the  busy  missionary  life  which  he  led. 

The  following  letter  written  to  friends  at  home 
within  a  few  weeks  after  her  coming  to  Morganton, 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  75 

gives  a  vivid  picture,  full  of  local  coloring,  of  the 
strenuous  conditions  under  which  the  work  was 
being  done,  and  sets  forth  the  details  of  a  busy  week 
during  the  Christmas  holidays  : 

"Saturday.  December  24,  1898.  In  the  morning 
we  started  immediately  after  breakfast  for  the  Good 
Shepherd  to  coach  the  children  some  more  in  their 
carols.  You  will  be  getting  tired  of  the  word  mud, 
so  unless  I  say  the  roads  were  good  take  it  for  granted 
that  the  mud  was  most  of  the  time  a  foot  deep  and 
the  rest  of  the  time  up  to  the  hubs — not  little  'Hub' 
(Mrs.  Satterlee's  dog),  but  the  wheel  hubs,  and  occa- 
sionally holes  that  nearly  tip  us  over.  Well,  we  drove 
to  the  Mission,  took  Belle,  the  horse  we  have  about 
decided  to  buy,  and  she  worked  like  a  trooper.  It 
was  a  fine  day.  I  took  my  knitting  and  did  quite  a 
lot.  There  were  many  children  there.  Mrs.  T — , 
who  is  in  charge,  was  much  much  amused  with 
'Hub,'  who  refused  to  lie  on  the  bare  wood  floor,  as 
it  was  muddy  from  the  children's  shoes,  so  she  got  a 
piece  of  carpet ;  he  is  always  spoilt  wherever  he  goes. 
I  believe  it  must  be  the  rubber  lip,  which  always  looks 
so  pathetic  when  he  is  not  happy.  We  came  back 
through  the  W's  place,  and  Herbert  W —  gave  us 
some  quail;  the  shooting  is  fine  here  now.  Every 
one  advises  me  to  get  Belle;  they  say  she  is  a  very 
good  animal,  though  about  nine  years  old.  We  ate 
a  hurried  luncheon,  then  drove  out  to  see  Mrs.  I — . 
Churchill  had  some  prayers  with  her.  Such  a  sad 
Xmas  for  her  children.     They  were  working  over  a 


76  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

Xmas  tree  upstairs.  She  has  been  such  a  good 
mother  always.  Jt  is  so  sad.  Her  oldest  girl,  six- 
teen, is  so  pretty  and  sweet.  They  are  really  nice 
people,  but  desperately  poor,  and  she  is  dying,  and  the 
baby  is  six  months  old. 

"On  the  way  home  we  met  all  the  country  people, 
— the  'pore  whites' — returning  to  their  cabins  from 
the  Xmas  shopping  in  'town.'  Such  picturesque 
sights!  The  road  winds  down  the  side  of  a  hill,  so 
we  could  see  the  procession  some  way  ahead.  The 
roads,  you  know,  are  bright  red,  so  are  very  marked. 
There  were  all  kinds  of  old  wagons,  some  even  with- 
out seats,  and  the  women  all  in  their  big  sun-bonnets, 
sitting  on  the  floor,  or  sometimes  on  rocking  chairs. 
Old  and  young,  the  women  all  wear  these  sun- 
bonnets,  big  calico  ones,  and  with  their  stern,  scrawny 
faces  look  like  witches.  There  were  also  many  men 
on  horses,  ponies,  mules,  and  donkeys.  Most  of  the 
men  have  shaggy  reddish  beards.  And  now  and  then 
we  saw  a  soldier.  Some  had  toys  flung  over  their 
backs,  and  all  carried  bundles  of  various  descriptions. 
They  always  take  off  their  hats  and  say  'good  even- 
ing.' Sometimes  thev  say  'What  a  nice  little  dog'  to 
'Hub.' 

"We  got  home  finally,  and  stopped  'down  street'  to 
get  some  things  for  the  servants.  T  wish  you  could 
have  some  idea  of  what  'down  street'  is  like  here — a 
wide  bleak-looking  street  with  tumbledown  'stores' — 
heaps  of  rubbish — papers  of  all  sizes  and  kinds 
strewn  everywhere,  and  blowing  about,  and  the  side- 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  77 

walks  swarming  with  men — black,  brown,  yellow  and 
white.  All  just  standing  about  with  their  hands  in 
their  pockets,  or  leaning  against  posts  or  walls.  And 
a  row  of  horses,  and  carts  on  each  side,  'hitched.'  It 
is  a  queer  place — and  all  this  may  bore  you. 

''We  came  back  to  see  how  the  church  was  getting 
on ;  it  was  about  finished  and  looked  lovely.  The 
rood-screen  was  a  great  success;  over  the  cross  there 
was  a  big  star  (gilded  too)  with  electric  lights  in 
the  different  points — most  effective!  When  I  came 
out  the  church  yard  looked  so  awfully  that  I  decided 
to  tidy  it  up  a  bit,  so  got  our  rake,  and  soon  I  was 
joined  by  two  little  boys  and  we  worked  like  beavers, 
till  it  got  too  dark  to  see.  Little  Hugh  G —  told  his 
mother  that  Mrs.  S —  had  to  take  her  jacket  off  she 
worked  so  hard. 

"Mrs.  T —  came  to  supper,  and  afterwards  we 
went  to  the  reunion  at  the  Town  Hall.  I  had  been 
dreading  it  frightfully,  but  it  turned  out  very  jolly 
and  informal.  Of  course  Churchill  was  the  moving- 
spirit,  and  kept  things  going.  They  played  'Going  to 
Jerusalem.'  and  old  Colonel  W — ,  83  years  old,  was 
left  the  last  with  a  very  pretty  girl,  and  everyone 
laughed  to  see  them  going  round  together.  Finally 
she  sat  down,  and  he  sat  on  her  lap ! 

"Then  Churchill  made  a  speech  that  amused  every 
one;  and  finally  in  came  Santa  Claus!  I  had  helped 
him  outside,  to  get  his  mask  on  and  put  cotton  on 
him  in  patches.  He  was  a  great  success  and  said 
some  very  funny  things; — it  was  Ralph  L — .     Then 


78  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

there  was  a  cake  walk.  Too  funny!  If  only  you 
could  have  seen  one  couple;  it  didn't  seem  as  though 
they  could  be  real,  as  though  they  must  be  made  up. 
They  were  both  tall  and  thin,  with  faces  that  looked 
as  though  they  were  carved  out  of  wood.  She  wore 
an  enormous  brown  sun-bonnet  which  she  kept  on 
all  the  whole  evening,  a  man's  black  cloth  coat,  and 
a  skimpy,  draggled  skirt.  She  was  cross-eyed,  with 
deep  wrinkles  and  lines  in  her  face,  but  had  quite  a 
sweet  smile  when  you  spoke  to  her.  He  was  tall  and 
thin  and  straight,  looked  something  like  Major  M — , 
but  a  stronger  face.  He  had  been  all  through  the 
war  in  the  Confederate  army.  Well,  those  two 
walked  solemnly  in  the  cake  walk,  while  everyone 
else  tried  to  be  funny.  The  old  Colonel  put  on  a 
tremendous  swagger  and  walked  waving  his  stick 
like  a  drum  major  and  was  delightful.  The  other 
two  walked  without  changing  a  muscle  in  their  stern 
faces,  though  everyone  was  in  fits  over  them.  And 
the  judges  awarded  the  cake  to  them,  Colonel  and 
Mrs.  O — .  She  walked  the  whole  length  of  the  hall, 
still  dignified  and  stern,  and  took  the  cake!  When 
they  drew  the  grab-bag  things  she  got  a  book,  'The 
Lady  of  the  Lake,'  and  he,  a  cake  of  soap!  I  asked 
her  if  she  would  like  to  change  it  for  something  else, 
but  she  said  quite  shyly,  T  can  read  a  little,'  and  I 
said,  'Oh,  of  course,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  like  it.' 
They  were  both  at  church,  a  little  less  stern  perhaps, 
and  she  said  they  had  eaten  a  little  of  the  cake — not 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  79 

the  soap.  The  grab-bag  was  all  Churchill's  idea — 
he  ordered  all  the  things  from  Wanamaker's  himself. 

"Before  leaving  the  hall  all  formed  a  big  circle  and 
sang  'Auld  Lang  Syne.'  Then  we  went  home,  and 
several  ladies  came  in,  and  we  broke  up  candy  for 
bags  for  Sunday-school  children  till  it  was  time  for 
church.  I  had  suggested  a  midnight  celebration  to 
Churchill,  for  I  loved  the  one  last  year  at  the  Sisters'. 
We  had  two  lighted  candles  on  the  altar.  The  ser- 
vice was  beautiful  and  everyone  was  much  impressed 
by  it.  Churchill  intoned  a  part  of  the  service  and  so 
well,  and  the  music  was  very  good.  We  got  to  bed 
after  one  o'clock. 

"Sunday.  December  25.  The  next  morning, 
Xmas.  when  we  came  down  to  breakfast,  Mrs.  T — 
was  already  in  the  library.  After  breakfast  we  undid 
a  few  things,  but  Churchill  had  to  go  over  to  Sunday- 
school.     So  I  waited  till  he  could  be  here 

.  .  .  After  Mrs.  T —  had  returned  to  her  mission, 
Churchill  came  back  and  we  opened  our  presents. 

"The  morning  service  was  fine.  Churchill's  ser- 
mon was  splendid,  a  great  success,  and  most  popular. 
Mr.  P —  asked  him  if  he  would  have  it  published. 
Right  after  service  he  had  a  Celebration  at  the  col- 
ored church,  and  it  was  quite  curious  and  weird  to 
see  my  big  splendid  Churchill  and  the  little,  fat,  inky- 
black  clergyman  together,  and  the  row  of  black  peo- 
ple at  the  rail.  We  were  tired  and  hungry  for  our 
dinner,  but  before  it  was  over  Churchill  had  to  rush 
away.     \Ye  took  the  banners  over  to  the  church  and 

6 


8o  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

at  two  o'clock  the  children  began  to  arrive.  It  was  a 
warm  sunny  day,  and  all  the  children  were  so  bright 
and  happy.  The  children  from  the  different  Missions 
drove  up  in  big  wagons,  over  two  hundred  children 
in  all.  It  was  a  very  inspiring  scene.  They  formed 
a  long  line  outside,  each  Mission  with  its  banner, 
four  in  all.  The  church  was  packed.  First  came  the 
choir  boys  in  their  little  clean  cottas,  then  Churchill 
looking  so  good  (can't  you  see  him?)  singing  away, 
then  all  the  little  poor  children  in  their  heavy  boots, 
clattering  along,  and  a  lot  of  big  rough  men,  all  look- 
ing so  shy  and  pleased.  The  carols  were  sung  with 
so  much  spirit.  I  thought  the  whole  service  very 
touching  and  splendid.  A  few  years  ago  none  of 
those  people  or  children  knew  a  thing,  and  were 
totally  ignorant,  not  only  about  the  Church,  but  the 
ordinary  civilities  of  life.  When  that  was  over,  they 
all  came  down  to  the  vestry  room,  and  I  helped 
Churchill  give  them  each  a  package  of  candy,  the 
men  and  women  too.  Then  we  had  a  moment  to  our- 
selves. The  hills  were  beautiful  and  so  restful — we 
took  a  little  walk.  Churchill  is  fine;  he  wanted  to  go 
to  thank  the  organist,  when  he  was  so  tired,  mentally, 
and  needed  a  rest,  and  I  wouldn't  let  him,  but  brought 
him  home,  and  we  had  some  tea.  Then  Mr.  P — 
and  Janey  came  to  supper,  and  after  they  had  gone 
we  went  to  the  G — 's,  for  Churchill  wanted  to  talk  it 
over  with  them,  and  thought  it  would  please  them. 

"Monday.    December  26.     To-day  is  glorious,  and 
it  is  fortunate,  as  we  had  to  go  to  two  Missions  this 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  «* 

p.  M Seven  miles  to  St.  George's  for  the 

Xmas  tree,  from  there  to  the  Good  Shepherd,  about 
ten  miles,  for  their  tree,  and  three  miles  home  from 
there. 

"We  went  on  horseback  and  rode  about  twenty 
miles.  We  started  about  one  o'clock.  Mr.  C.  P — 
went  with  us.  Such  a  nice  man  of  the  old-fashioned 
type  of  Southerner.  He  weighs  250  pounds  and  rode 
a  great  big  powerful  horse  who  loped  the  whole  time. 
Mr.  P —  wore  a  long  coat,  the  tails  of  which  sepa- 
rated in  the  back  and  hung  down  straight  on  either 
side,  and  a  sort  of  dress  waist-coat,  showing  a  great 
deal  of  shirt.  He  ambled  along  without  budging  in 
the  saddle,  and  so  fast  I  could  hardly  keep  up.  We 
got  to  St.  George's  in  good  time  notwithstanding  the 
mud.  It  was  quite  a  sight  to  see  the  crowd  of  people 
waiting  outside  of  the  chapel.  So  many  women  with 
little  babies,  and  quantities  of  men  and  boys,  and  of 
course  lots  of  children.  I  saw  one  of  my  god-children 
there,  the  paralyzed  half  idiotic  one.  It  was  a  bright 
sunny  warm  day.  If  I  had  only  taken  my  kodak 
with  me ! 

"One  old  woman  took  quite  a  fancy  to  me.  I  sat 
by  her  in  the  chapel  and  she  kept  patting  my  knee. 
A  younger  one  with  a  baby  put  her  arm  around  my 
waist  when  we  stood  up.  She  asked  me  if  I  were 
Mr.  Satterlee's  wife.  When  I  said  'Yes,'  she  said, 
'You  look  right  young  to  be  a  preacher's  wife.' 

"The  entertainment  was  wonderful.  The  chapel 
was  darkened,  about  two  hundred  people  crowded  in, 


82  A   FISHER  OF  MEN. 

not  even  standing  room,  for  there  were  some  outside 
who  could  not  get  in.  There  was  a  little  play  (the 
chapel  has  not  heen  consecrated),  and  the  children 
were  really  wonderful.  There  was  a  Santa  Claus 
too.  An  old  man  named  Squire  M —  was  called  upon 
to  make  a  speech,  and  astounded  us  all  (gold  bugs,  as 
they  call  us)  by  proposing  a  cheer  for  Sister  Ella, 
and  Colonel  Bryan. 

"We  got  away  by  four  o'clock  and  took  the  loveli- 
est road  across  country,  through  woods,  through 
lovely  country,  over  brooks,  and  out  on  to  the  Brin- 
dletown  road,  the  one  to  the  Good  Shepherd.  We 
got  there  rather  too  soon.  Mrs.  T —  was  very  busy, 
but  bright  and  cheerful  as  usual.  She  gave  us  quite 
a  supper  about  5.30,  and  we  were  hungry!  She  had 
a  Xmas  tree  in  the  chapel,  which  was  also  packed. 
And  the  children  all  recited  pieces,  some  too  killing 
for  words.  I  almost  died  over  them,  but  all  the  coun- 
try people  thought  it  beautiful,  especially  when  a 
carefully  dressed  young  man  got  up  and  with  appro- 
priate gestures  recited  'Bung-in,  fair  Bungin  on  the 
Rhine' ! 

"It  was  dark  when  we  came  out,  but  such  a  lovely 
clear  sky  and  bright  moonlight.  The  horses  were 
cold  and  feeling  good  when  we  started  and  snorted 
cheerfully,  and  we  had  a  glorious  ride  home. 
Churchill  said  he  liked  it ;  was  not  a  bit  stiff  after  it. 
nor  Mr.  P —  either. 

"Tuesday.  December  27.  There  were  women 
here  all  the  morning  arranging  things  for  the  church 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  «3 

Xmas  tree.  After  helping  them  a  little  i  went  with 
Churchill  to  call  on  a  few  people,  and  then  came  back 
and  helped  the  boys  with  the  church  yard. 

"At  7.30  was  the  Xmas  tree.  1  sat  up  in  front  and 
helped  with  the  presents.  The  church  was  packed. 
Churchill  made  a  nice  address.  He  knows  just  how 
to  talk  to  the  people,  especially  the  children,  who  all 
love  him.  They  sang  their  carols  again,  and  then 
got  their  presents. 

"After  the  tree  we  persuaded  Mrs.  G —  to  go  with 
us  to  Asheville.  We  took  the  midnight  train.  The 
mountains  were  very  weird  and  beautiful  in  the 
moonlight ;  the  scenery  is  much  finer  than  I  expected. 
We  got  to  Asheville  at  2.30  a.  m.;  the  hotel  was 
heated  with  steam  and  almost  killed  me,  after  our 
cool,  fresh  little  house. 

"Wednesday.  December  28.  The  day  was  fine 
but  colder,  and  more  windy,  than  here.  We  had  a 
little  time  before  church  and  did  some  shopping. 
Churchill  left  us  before  ten,  for  he  had  to  take  part 
in  the  consecration  of  the  new  Bishop  of  Asheville, 
which,  by  the  way,  is  the  reason  for  our  going.  He 
was  the  only  man  of  the  twenty  clergy  and  five  Bish- 
ops who  was  as  tall  as  Churchill.  Churchill  read  the 
Testimonials,  a  great  honor,  being  the  youngest 
there,  and  so  many  old  men.  He  did  it  very  well  and 
impressively,  and  I  felt  so  proud !  The  sermon  was 
preached  by  the  Bishop  of  South  Carolina,  and  was 
very  good.  The  service  lasted  three  hours  and  a 
half.     We  came  back  on  the  2.30  train,  ate  a  sandwich 


S4  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

at  the  station,  and  got  home  at  five  in  the  morning. 
Met  no  end  of  clergy  and  several  Bishops.  The  old 
Bishop  of  East  Carolina  told  me  that  Churchill  was 
the  man  he  wanted  for  Bishop. 

"That  night  the  moon  was  so  bright  and  the  night 
so  lovely  that  we  took  a  little  drive. 

''Thursday.  December  29.  At  7.30  in  the  evening 
was  the  Xmas  tree  at  the  colored  church.  I  thought 
I  wouldn't  go,  being  rather  tired,  and  about  8.30 
walked  down  with  'Hub'  to  meet  Churchill.  Looked 
in  at  the  window  and  saw  him  and  Mr.  P —  sitting 
on  the  last  seat,  and  tapped  on  the  window.  They 
both  jumped  up.  and  insisted  on  my  coming  in,  and 
'Hub'  too.  I  did  not  have  on  any  hat,  so  Churchill 
gave  me  his  cap.  The  little  colored  children  recited 
and  got  presents.  Fancy  my  despair  to  find  another 
dog  lying  on  the  floor.  At  first  'Hub'  did  not  see 
him,  but  when  he  did  Mr.  P —  quickly  put  his  hat 
over  his  whole  head,  which  completely  squelched  him. 

"Friday.  December  30.  Another  busy  day.  Be- 
gan with  the  boys  in  the  garden,  and  then  went  with 
Churchill  to  call  on  some  people  out  in  the  country; 
a  lovely  drive.  We  had  to  ford  a  wide  river,  with 
islands  in  it,  and  so  deep  the  water  came  in  the  buggy. 
Most  thrilling!  We  made  a  long  call,  and  as  usual 
were  plied  with  food,  cake,  pie,  etc.,  which  we  ate, 
and  got  home  at  two  in  the  afternoon  with  no  desire 
for  dinner. 

"A  little  before  four  Churchill  and  I  started  for  the 
Mission  of  the  Cross,  for  the  Xmas  tree.     We  went 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  85 

to  the  house  of  a  Mr.  H — ,  where  we  found  Mr.  John 
P —  and  Mrs.  G — ,  who  had  gone  to  decorate  the 
tree.  Mr.  H —  and  his  daughters  insisted  on  our 
going  into  the  dining  room  and  eating  a  regular 
meal !  Then  we  went  to  the  chapel.  The  tree  was  a 
great  success.  Everything  is  most  primitive  out 
there.  It  is  the  newest  of  the  chapels,  and  there  are 
more  men  and  boys  there  than  at  the  others.  Besides 
the  candles  on  the  tree  the  only  lights  were  three  ordi- 
nary lamps,  and  it  was  very  effective,  for  the  eager, 
wondering  faces  stood  out  in  the  dark  background. 
Each  child  got  a  present,  and  the  little  ones  that 
trotted  up  with  outstretched  arms  to  get  their  dolls, 
were  sweet  and  touching,  and  great  was  the  awe 
with  which  they  looked  at  their  new  treasures. 

"When  we  came  out  it  was  pitch  dark,  being  a 
cloudy  night.  There  were  some  groups  which  would 
have  delighted  Ethel,  with  pine  torches,  lighting  up 
the  rugged  faces  of  the  men,  the  big  sun-bonnets  of 
the  women,  and  the  children. 

"We  had  to  walk  the  horse  nearly  all  the  way 
home.  Mr.  P —  drove  in  front  and  carried  a  parlor 
lamp  which  kept  going  out. 

"And  now  I  have  got  to  the  end  of  the  Xmas  trees 
and  to  another  Saturday,  and,  for  the  time  being,  will 
stop." 

In  the  winter  of  1900,  a  Mission  of  ten  days  was 
held  in  the  parish  by  Bishop  Coleman,  of  Delaware. 
Satterlee  had  worked  very  hard  for  several  months 
previous  to  make  the  Mission  a  success,  and  had  been 


86  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

nobly  seconded  in  his  efforts  by  the  members  of  the 
Brotherhood  and  other  parish  organizations.  The 
result  amply  justified  their  labors.  When  Bishop 
Coleman  came  he  found  the  ground  thoroughly  pre- 
pared for  him  and  the  interest  of  the  whole  com- 
munity aroused.  As  evidence  of  the  general  enthusi- 
asm and  the  personal  regard  felt  for  the  rector  of  the 
parish  by  all  classes,  the  merchants  of  the  town,  irre- 
spective of  their  religious  affiliations,  and  including 
even  the  Jews,  closed  their  shops  daily  at  an  earlier 
hour,  thus  affording  an  opportunity  for  all  to  attend 
the  Mission  services.  In  addition  to  the  regular  ser- 
vices in  the  parish  church,  special  services  were  held 
in  the  Court  House  and  county  institutions,  at  several 
factories,  at  St.  Stephen's,  the  church  for  colored 
people,  and  at  one  of  the  outlying  missions.  An 
accurate  record  was  kept  of  the  attendance,  the  total 
running  up  to  over  six  thousand,  surely  a  remarkable 
showing  in  a  population  numbering  about  two  thou- 
sand souls. 

In  a  letter  to  the  writer  Bishop  Coleman  speaks 
enthusiastically  of  the  Mission  and  pays  a  high 
tribute  to  Satterlee's  character  and  abilities : 

"I  came  to  know  the  Rev.  Churchill  Satterlee  very 
well  during  a  Mission  that  I  held,  at  his  request,  while 
he  was  rector  of  Morganton,  North  Carolina. 

"Opportunities  afforded  in  this  way  are  particu- 
larly well  adapted  to  forming  an  intimate  acquaint- 
anceship, and,  as  in  this  case  decidedly,  even  a  friend- 
ship. 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  87 

"It  was  a  Mission  that  bad  about  it  some  features 
of  unusual  interest,  as  regards,  for  example,  the 
scope  of  the  various  congregations  gathered,  not  only 
in  the  parish  church,  but  elsewhere,  daily,  and  as 
regards  the  general  sympathy  evoked. 

"The  whole  community  was  deeply  interested,  and 
there  were  most  gratifying  evidences  throughout  of 
a  like  mindfulness  on  the  parts  of  the  people  belong- 
ing to  the  several  outlying  mission  stations  that 
were  under  his  charge. 

"Now,  all  this  was  largely  owing,  under  God,  to 
the  careful  preparations  that  he  had  made,  and  his 
own  inspiring  enthusiasm ;  an  enthusiasm  born  out 
of  his  devout  and  hearty  concern  for  the  people's 
spiritual  welfare. 

"We  were  in  constant  and  minute  conversation 
upon  this  subject  day  by  day;  and  I  could  not  but  be 
much  impressed  with  his  whole-souled  desire  for  the 
uplifting  of  his  people. 

"He  evidently  felt  his  responsibility  for  their  souls, 
and  was  not  willing  to  leave  anything  untried  that 
promised  to  help  them  to  any  degree. 

"How  well  I  can  recall  the  delightful  hours  spent 
after  the  services  at  night,  in  conversation  with  him 
and  his  dear  wife  over  the  events  of  the  day,  and  in 
planning  for  the  morrow. 

"Such  intercourse  drew  us  very  close  to  each  other ; 
and  I  grew  to  love  him  more  and  more  for  his  Chris- 
tian and  attractive  manliness. 

"In    subsequent   correspondence,    especially   as   he 


88  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

would  sometimes  write  to  me  for  my  opinion  upon 
certain  subjects,  it  was  charming  to  discover  his 
strong  growth  in  grace. 

"I  feel  that  the  Church  has  lost  one  who  bade  fair 
to  be  among  her  most  effective  and  trustworthy 
friends,  and  who,  both  by  doctrine  and  example,  was 
well  calculated  to  promote  her  best  interests  wherever 
he  might  be." 

One  of  Satterlee's  dominant  characteristics  was 
that  he  kept  his  eyes  open,  and  was  constantly  scan- 
ning the  horizon  to  see  if  there  were  any  kind  of 
opportunity  for  advancing  his  work.  He  had  the 
quality  of  "initiative"  in  a  remarkable  degree,  and  it 
was  this  which  stamped  so  much  of  his  work  with 
originality. 

Morganton  is  the  county  seat,  where  the  Court 
meets  at  certain  intervals  in  the  year.  Here,  as  in 
many  other  parts  of  the  country,  the  sessions  of  the 
Court  draw  the  country  folk  from  all  quarters  by  a 
strange  spell  of  attraction. 

Satterlee  felt  that  here  was  an  opportunity  of 
reaching  out-of-the-way  people,  who  were  often  far 
from  every  kind  of  gospel  ministrations.  And  so 
during  the  recess  of  Court,  he  had  mid-day  services, 
about  a  half  hour  in  length,  at  which  he  himself 
spoke,  and  secured  also  other  clergymen  to  help  him. 
There  was  always  a  good  congregation,  sometimes  a 
very  large  one. 

One  who  was  much  struck  with  the  way  in 
which  he  utilized  these  and  other  opportunities,  and 


A  COUNTRY  PARISH.  89 

made  the  most  of  them,  asked  him  how  it  was  that  he 
was  so  successful.  Satterlee's  answer  was,  "I  do  not 
understand  why  it  is  that  I  succeed.  I  suppose  it  is 
because  I  am  trying  to  reach  the  people  in  the  com- 
munity in  every  way  that  God  points  out.  This  is 
what  God  gives  me  to  do.  Whether  other  parish 
priests  could  have  the  same  success  with  the  same 
methods,  I  cannot  tell." 

The  only  General  Convention  of  which  Satterlee 
was  a  member  was  that  which  met  in  1898,  in  the 
city  of  Washington.  There  is  a  circumstance  which 
occurred  in  this  connection  which  reveals  the  magna- 
nimity of  the  man.  Satterlee  was  present  as  a  Deputy 
from  the  recently  created  Missionary  District  of 
Asheville,  for  which  jurisdiction  the  Convention  dur- 
ing that  session  was  to  choose  a  Bishop.  The  name 
of  Satterlee  himself,  but  without  his  sanction,  had 
been  mentioned  in  connection  with  this  office,  and 
there  was  a  strong  movement  in  some  quarters  to 
press  for  his  nomination.  When  the  name  of  another 
man  was  sent  down  from  the  House  of  Bishops,  and 
inquiries  were  made  as  to  his  qualifications  for  the 
office,  Satterlee  immediately  arose,  and  in  a  speech  of 
remarkable  vigor  bore  the  strongest  personal  testi- 
mony to  the  character  and  attainments  of  the  nomi- 
nee. Though  Satterlee's  name  had  not  come  before 
the  Convention  in  a  formal  way,  yet  he  was  aware 
that  his  own  claims  upon  the  office  had  been  discussed 
by  those  immediately  about  him. 

We  can  imagine  how  painful  this  must  have  been 


9o  A   FISHER  OF  MEN. 

to  ilu  sensitive  and  delicate  nature  of  a  man  who,  by 
going  to  a  missionary  field  in  the  mountains  of  North 
Carolina,  instead  of  seeking  a  call  to  a  city  parish, 
had  proved  how  little  he  sought  or  desired  position 
or  influence. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PIONEER  WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

Satterlee's  success  in  ministering  to  the  moun- 
taineers was  phenomenal.  From  the  very  inception 
of  the  work  he  seems  to  have  met  with  great  encour- 
agement. Others  who  had  previously  attempted  to 
do  evangelistic  work  among  these  people  had  found 
the  difficulties  so  great  that  they  were  forced  to 
abandon  their  efforts.  Before  Satterlee's  coming  to 
Morganton  a  feeble  attempt  had  been  made  to  estab- 
lish a  mission  by  a  former  rector,  but  the  enterprise 
had  languished  and  had  finally  been  given  up.  The 
field  so  far  as  it  was  worked  at  all  was  in  the  hands 
of  the  Baptists  and  Methodists.  There  were  no  regu- 
lar chapels  or  permanent  mission  stations  anywhere 
belonging  to  these  bodies,  and  the  only  religious 
ministrations  of  any  sort  were  occasional  preaching 
services  held  by  itinerant  evangelists  in  log  cabins  or 
school  houses,  where  such  existed.  These  preachers 
were  themselves,  in  many  cases,  almost  as  ignorant 
and  illiterate  as  those  to  whom  they  preached.  Not 
infrequently  they  were  men  whose  moral  characters 
were  not  above  suspicion.  Their  exhortations  had 
often  little  in  them  of  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel,  and 

91 


92  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

were  based  upon  the  crudest  theological  conceptions. 
"Hell  fire"  and  "damnation"  were  their  favorite 
themes,  and  they  did  not  hesitate  to  consign  to  eternal 
torments  those  especially  who  failed  to  contribute  to 
the  collections  which  constituted  the  means  whence 
they  derived  a  miserable  livelihood.  It  is  said  to  be 
not  at  all  an  uncommon  thing  in  these  parts  for  one 
who  is  too  lazy  to  do  manual  work,  to  take  up 
"preaching"  for  a  living.  The  writer  was  informed 
of  the  case  of  a  revival  preacher  who  was  known  to 
have  at  least  two  wives  living  in  different  sections  of 
the  mountains,  but  who,  nevertheless,  continued  to 
pursue  his  avocation  without  let  or  hindrance,  either 
on  the  part  of  the  civil  authorities  or  the  ecclesiastical 
body  to  which  he  professed  to  belong.  In  referring 
to  these  cases  there  is  no  intention  of  casting  any 
aspersion  upon  the  Christian  bodies  under  whose 
name  and  authority  these  vagrant  preachers  claimed 
to  exercise  their  functions.  Doubtless  in  many 
instances  there  was  no  official  connection  whatsoever 
between  the  two,  the  work  of  the  self-constituted 
evangelist  being  conducted  wholly  upon  his  own 
initiative. 

To  a  people  cut  off  by  their  illiteracy  from  all  intel- 
lectual interests,  living  in  isolated  communities, 
steeped  in  poverty,  whose  days  are  spent  in  trving  to 
wrest  a  precarious  living  out  of  the  stony  soil  of  their 
farms  on  the  mountain  side,  anything  that  serves  to 
break  the  dull  monotony  of  existence  is  welcome. 
Hence,  the  announcement  that  there  will  be  "preach- 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  93 

ing"  at  a  certain  center  is  always  received  with  inter- 
est, and  the  appointed  time  usually  sees  a  goodly 
number,  including  both  sexes  and  all  ages,  gathered 
from  the  surrounding  region.  One  who  has  occa- 
sionally attended  these  meetings  has  described  a 
typical  scene  to  the  writer.  A  log  cabin  capable  of 
holding  seventy-five  to  a  hundred  people  is  packed 
with  mountaineers  and  their  families.  The  men  and 
women  sit  on  opposite  sides  of  the  room.  The  faces 
of  all  are  expressionless.  There  is  no  enthusiasm  dis- 
played. The  eyes  are  cast  down  so  that  no  one  looks 
at  the  speaker.  The  women  wear  sun-bonnets, — the 
usual  feminine  headgear  of  the  mountains  at  all 
periods  of  the  year.  Men  and  women  alike  are 
engaged  in  chewing  tobacco,  the  juice  of  which  is 
squirted  at  intervals  in  the  direction  of  a  receptacle 
placed  in  the  center  of  the  room.  The  preacher,  as 
he  becomes  heated  by  the  enthusiasm  of  his  own 
eloquence,  does  not  hesitate  to  divest  himself  of  coat 
and  waistcoat.  Then  in  shirt  sleeves  he  perambulates 
the  aisle,  and,  in  company  with  his  hearers,  squirts 
streams  of  tobacco  juice  into  the  common  receptacle. 
What  were  the  definite  Christian  doctrines 
preached  the  writer's  informant  did  not  seem  able 
to  recall.  Evidently  the  homiletical  impression  made 
upon  his  mind  was  slight.  He  remembered,  how- 
ever, that  the  revivalist,  as  he  strode  up  and  down  in 
his  shirt  sleeves,  thanked  the  Lord  with  unction  that 
he  "never  had  no  schoolin',"  but  was  "an  ignorant 
man." 


94  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

Tt  was  among  a  people  accustomed  to  receive  their 
religious  impressions  under  such  grotesque  forms  and 
amid  such  squalid  surroundings,  that  Satterlee  did 
his  pioneer  work  and  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
Church  deep  and  strong.  To-day  in  the  neighbor- 
hood where  he  ministered,  a  marked  change  in  the 
appearance  and  habits  of  the  people  is  plainly  notice- 
able. Services  are  conducted  according  to  Prayer 
Book  usage,  in  chapels  appropriately  furnished  with 
the  accessories  of  worship.  The  buildings  are  kept 
clean,  and  the  congregation  of  its  own  accord  refrains 
from  bespattering  the  floors  with  tobacco  juice. 
Hundreds  who  could  neither  read  nor  write,  have 
n<  »w  mastered  these  arts,  either  directly  as  the  result 
of  their  attendance  at  the  day  schools  connected  with 
the  missions,  or  indirectly  through  the  impetus  given 
by  these  schools  to  the  general  cause  of  education. 
When  Satterlee  began  his  mission  work  in  the  moun- 
tains there  were  few  if  any  public  schools,  but  since 
that  time  several  have  been  started.  The  people  as 
they  came  under  the  influence  of  the  Church,  began 
gradually  to  realize  their  deficiencies,  and  have 
developed  a  desire  for  the  advantages  of  educa- 
tion. It  was  a  most  difficult  task  at  first  to 
convince  the  parents  that  it  was  desirable  to 
permit  their  children  to  receive  instruction.  As 
soon  as  children  were  capable  of  doing  any 
work,  the  parents  invariably  found  employment 
for  them  at  home,  and  were  jealous  of  anything 
that  deprived  them  of  their  services.     To  a  request 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  95 

that  their  children  be  sent  to  school,  the  parents  were 
commonly  wont  to  reply,  "We  had  no  schoolin'  and 
we  reckon  they  needn't  have  none  either.''  To-day 
that  attitude  has  largely  disappeared  and  the  parents 
gladly  send  their  children  to  school  at  such  times  as 
their  help  is  not  imperatively  required  at  home.  Per- 
haps it  would  be  too  much  to  claim,  that  the  change 
discernible  in  this  respect  is  wholly  due  to  the  work 
Satterlee  initiated,  but  certainly  much  of  the  credit 
for  the  improvement  is  clearly  traceable  to  the  influ- 
ence of  the  missions  he  established. 

It  would  be  a  mistake  to  imagine,  because  these 
mountain  folk  are  illiterate,  that  they  are  not  in  many 
cases  very  intelligent,  or  because  they  live  in  squalor, 
that  they  do  not  possess  many  sterling  virtues.  They 
are  hospitable  to  the  last  degree,  personally  cour- 
ageous, loyal  to  each  other,  uncomplaining,  and  fair 
in  their  dealings.  In  their  heredity  they  represent, 
perhaps,  the  purest  strain  of  native  Americanism  to 
be  found  in  the  whole  country.  There  is  among  them 
practically  no  admixture  of  foreign  blood.  Every 
one  of  them  possesses  doubtless  the  qualifications  for 
admittance  to  such  patriotic  societies  as  the  Sons  of 
the  Revolution  and  the  Colonial  Wars.  Out  of  such 
stock  have  arisen  men  like  Andrew  Jackson  and 
Abraham  Lincoln.  Reticent  and  shy  in  the  presence 
of  strangers,  they  are  extremely  sensitve  to  criticism 
and  suspicious-  of  the  motives  of  those  coming  among 
them  from  the  outside  world.  The  faults  prevalent 
among  them  are  those  which  naturally  pertain  to  a 


96  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

rude  and  simple  people  living  in  a  state  of  isolation, 
and  who,  for  the  most  part,  are  a  law  unto  them- 
selves. Illegitimacy  and  concubinage  are  frequent. 
Feuds,  sometimes  leading  to  a  prolonged  vendetta, 
are  characteristic  of  their  existence.  They  often 
come  in  conllict  with  the  law,  owing  to  their  pro- 
pensity for  manufacturing  illicit  whiskey,  and  they 
invariably  regard  the  revenue  officer  as  their  natural 
enemy.  They  themselves  drink  large  quantities  of 
their  own  "moonshine." 

The  moral  improvement  among  those  who  have 
come  under  the  influence  of  the  missions  established 
by  Satterlee  is  a  fact  testified  to  by  those  who  are 
familiar  with  the  conditions  which  existed  previously. 
A  politician,  a  Methodist,  who  was  in  the  habit  peri- 
odically of  making  campaign  speeches  to  the  moun- 
tain audiences,  expressed  his  conviction  that  the 
change  which  had  taken  place  was  little  short  of  mar- 
vellous. "Mr.  Satterlee,"  he  declared,  "has  done 
wonders  for  these  people.  I  find  everywhere  more 
intelligent  listeners.  The  people  conduct  themselves 
with  greater  propriety,  they  dress  better,  and  seem 
to  have  a  keener  appreciation  of  moral  issues." 

Satterlee's  tact  in  dealing  with  these  peculiar  peo- 
ple, as  shown  in  his  respect  for  their  prejudices,  in 
his  democratic  ways,  in  his  hearty  recognition  of 
their  virtues,  and  in  his  refusal  to  employ  any  other 
means  than  moral  suasion  in  his  endeavors  to  eradi- 
cate evils,  undoubtedly  accounts  largely  for  the  great 
success  he  achieved. 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  97 

"Your  preacher  is  just  as  common  as  we  are,"  was 
the  remark  of  one  of  his  mountain  flock  to  the  lay- 
man in  charge  of  the  mission.  This  was  intended  as 
a  high  compliment  to  the  simplicity  of  his  manners 
and  bearing. 

Many  are  the  stories  told  of  Satterlee's  kind- 
heartedness  and  generosity  to  these  poor  people.  A 
young  boy,  a  cripple,  was  sent  by  him  to  the  Johns 
Hopkins  Hospital  in  Baltimore  for  treatment,  the. 
money  being  supplied  by  himself  or  obtained  from 
others  through  his  solicitation.  One  family,  who 
was  confronted  with  the  necessity  of  obtaining  a  cer- 
tain sum  of  money  in  default  of  which  the  home 
would  be  sacrificed,  obtained  a  loan  from  him  with- 
out security,  which  it  is  pleasant  to  record  was  sub- 
sequently repaid. 

The  ground  for  one  of  his  chapels  was  given  by  a 
neighbor  who  distilled  and  sold  whiskey  on  his  prem- 
ises adjoining  the  building.  After  the  chapel  and 
school-house  were  built,  Satterlee  was  pressed  to 
take  advantage  of  the  law  which  prohibited  the  sale 
of  liquor  within  a  certain  radius  of  a  church  or  school. 

"They'll  incorporate  and  put  you  out  of  business," 
remarked  some  of  his  friends  to  the  donor  of  the 
land. 

"I'll  trust  him  not  to  do  that,"  was  the  replv. 

"No,"  said  Satterlee,  when  the  suggestion  was 
made  to  ham,  "we  can't  do  a  thing  of  that  kind ;  we'll 
have  to  trust  to  moral  suasion." 

During  the  church  services  the  liquor  dealer  ab- 


98  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

stained  from  making  sales,  and  ultimately  gave  up 
the  business  altogether,  was  baptized  and  confirmed, 
and  became  one  of  the  staunchest  supporters  of  the 
work. 

Satterlee  fully  appreciated  the  necessity  of  being 
regular  and  prompt  in  his  attendance  at  the  services 
which  he  held  monthly  in  his  mission  chapels.  When 
the  designated  Sunday  came,  he  never  permitted  any- 
thing to  interfere  with  his  going.  Whatever  was  the 
state  of  the  weather,  however  bad  the  roads,  he  was 
always  on  hand.  It  was  by  no  means  an  unusual 
thing  for  him  when  the  weather  made  traveling  hard, 
to  leave  Morganton  on  Sunday  immediately  after 
his  service  in  the  parish  church,  without  waiting  for 
his  dinner.  He  would  take  a  cold  lunch  with  him 
and  eat  it  on  the  way,  rather  than  run  the  risk  of 
arriving  late  at  his  destination.  The  mountain  peo- 
ple, who,  in  many  cases,  themselves  came  a  distance 
of  several  miles,  were  quick  to  appreciate  his  regu- 
larity, and  he  seldom  lacked  a  good  congregation. 
When  he  first  began  to  hold  these  services,  upon  a 
very  stormy  day  when  the  mud  in  the  roads  was  up 
to  the  wheel  hubs,  he  drove  out  only  to  find  a  mere 
handful  present.  A  gentle  rebuke  expressive  of  his 
surprise  that  so  few  were  in  attendance  when  nothing 
ever  prevented  his  coming  was  sufficient,  and  he 
never  had  occasion  again  to  complain  of  their  remiss- 
ness in  this  respect. 

That  Satterlee  was  able  to  accomplish  the  difficult 
task  of  translating  his  ideas  so  that  they  could  be 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  99 

fully  comprehended  by  those  among  his  hearers  who 
were  most  illiterate,  is  proved  by  the  comment  made 
by  one  of  the  members  of  his  mountain  flock  in  the 
vernacular  of  the  district,  "The  preacher  knows  what 
kind  o'  fodder  to  give  we  'uns." 

A  teacher  in  charge  of  one  of  the  mountain  schools 
furnishes  some  interesting  reminiscences  of  her  life 
among  these  people  and  pays  her  loving  tribute  to 
Satterlee's  memory. 

"When  I  first  took  up  the  work,  Mr.  Satterlee's 
injunction  was,  'Use  every  means  in  your  power  to 
induce  the  people  to  send  their  children  to  school.' 
The  school  was  free,  even  the  books  were  donated. 
Mr.  Satterlee  felt  that  if  the  children  could  read  and 
write,  and  had  a  fair  understanding  of  arithmetic 
and  grammar,  they  would  then  have  a  desire  to  reach' 
out  and  gain  more  knowledge;  and  so  have  within 
them  power  to  better  themselves. 

"He  was  wonderfully  gifted  with  the  ability  to 
interest  people.  Once  they  knew  him,  it  was  a  very 
easy  matter  to  win  their  good  will;  for  the  average 
mountaineer  is  good-hearted,  hospitable  and  unsus- 
pecting of  ill,  though  often  superstitious. 

"When  I  went  down  there,  it  seemed  to  me  they 
had  so  little  pleasure  that  I  felt  to  start  a  debating 
club  would  be  a  good  thing.  Soon  we  had  some 
really  good  talkers ;  it  was  astonishing  the  short  time 
it  would  take  for  us  to  settle  the  most  important  pub- 
lic matters  in  our  club.  The  winning  side  would 
invariably  say  to  me,  'Please  tell  Mr.  Satterlee  about 


ioo  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

the  debate,  and  that  our  side  won.'  There  were  a 
tew  girls  connected  with  the  club,  but  mostly  boys 
whose  ages  ranged  from  ten  to  fifty  years — you  see 
there  were  some  old  boys  in  that  club.  When  Mr. 
Satterlee  would  come  out  again,  he  would  remember 
what  had  been  told  him;  and  it  was  a  genuine  pleas- 
ure to  hear  him  talk  to  them  about  the  club.  They 
felt  that  he  was  really  interested  in  their  welfare,  and 
they  were  not  mistaken. 

"One  Sunday  afternoon  we  w<ere  expecting  Bishop 
Satterlee  out  to  the  mission  to  preach  the  sermon  and 
conduct  the  services,  and  as  I  had  to  go  a  distance  the 
previous  week  to  look  after  some  children,  concluded 
to  take  along  some  notices  of  the  coming  visit  of  the 
Bishop,  and  fasten  them  on  trees  or  some  other  con- 
spicuous place,  hoping  that  by  so  doing  a  greater 
number  would  be  induced  to  attend.  I  went  into  a 
store,  in  an  out-of-the-way  place,  and,  after  having 
made  a  purchase,  asked  permission  to  place  the  notice 
near  the  door.  T  had  never  been  there  before,  nor 
had  I  ever  seen  any  of  the  family.  Said  the  proprie- 
tor, 'Wal.  what's  it  about,  anyway?'  I  read  the 
notice  that  Bishop  Satterlee  of  Washington  would  be 
at  the  chapel,  etc.,  etc.  Said  the  man  to  his  boy, 
'Jake,  let  the  lady  put  it  up.  I  reckon  he's  some  kin 
to  the  preacher  that  is  so  mighty  civil  to  us  poor 
folks.  Why,  he'd  shake  hands  with  a  man  in  his  old 
clothes  as  quick  as  if  he  was  dressed  up  in  a  white 
collar.'    The  proprietor  put  up  the  notice  himself,  and 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  101 

I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  him  and  'Jake'  at  the 
service. 

"The  people  show  their  good  feeling  toward  one 
in  many  ways.  If  they  admire  a  person  very  much, 
they  are  apt  to  name  the  first  new  baby  after  him. 
One  very  disagreeable  morning,  while  the  hail  and 
rain  seemed  to  compete  with  each  other  as  to  which 
should  possess  the  earth,  and  I  could  hardly  see  to 
drive,  because  of  the  storm,  all  at  once  my  horse 
halted  a  little,  and  almost  in  front  of  him  stumbled 
a  little  black  boy  about  three  years  old,  and  close  in 
his  wake  came  mother  calling  in  a  shrill  rasping 
voice,  'I  say,  you  Churchill  Satterlee  Gordon,  come 
here.  I  'clare  to  massa  if  he  ain't  the  triflenest  no 
'count  young  'un  ever  born'd.'  I  thought  right  there, 
how  little  there  is  in  a  name,  to  be  sure.  The  Gordon 
was  after  the  lay  reader,  who  came  out  to  our  mis- 
sion, and  who  lived  not  far  from  the  affectionate 
mother  of  the  little  image  I  had  nearly  run  over. 

"It  seemed  wise  to  bring  the  people  together  as 
often  as  possible.  We  became  interested  in  each 
other,  and  the  results  were  good  feeling  generally.  If 
a  picnic  were  to  be  held,  we  always  found  out  first 
whether  Mr.  Satterlee  could  be  with  us  or  not.  We 
always  waited  his  convenience,  because  we  wanted  a 
good  time,  and  if  he  were  with  us,  we  were  sure  to 
have  it.  He  was  ever  ready  with  suggestions  for 
games,  and  his  laugh  was  contagious.  When  the 
'tug  of  war'  came,  and  one  side  showed  weakness,  he 
went  to  their  rescue.     Then  what  fun !     Every  one 


io2  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

who  had  any  pall  in  him  would  rush  for  the  rope. 
When  it  was  time  for  refreshments — and  at  a  moun- 
tain picnic  it  comes  early  in  the  day — he  would  be  in 
among  the  men.  If  one  seat  was  more  comfortable 
than  another,  he  would  insist  upon  some  tired  mother 
with  a  baby  sitting  there.  The  babies  were  regular 
attendants  on  all  festival  occasions.  The  male  moun- 
taineer does  not  make  a  good  nurse,  so  the  mother 
wisely  picks  up  the  infant  and  starts  off,  and  as  the 
father  does  not  like  to  lose  sight  of  the  family  he  goes 
too,  and  is  always  sure  of  a  welcome.  On  Sundays 
the  father  usually  feels  called  upon  to  turn  his  atten- 
tion to  viewing  the  farm,  and  to  go  out  to  the  barn 
and  congratulate  the  mules  and  himself  that  it  is  a 
day  of  rest  for  them.  The  wife  is  the  chief  trans- 
gressor, and  does  the  greatest  amount  of  work  on 
Sunday;  for  they  must  eat,  and  Sunday  is  something 
of  a  feast  day. 

"It  was  not  unusual  for  one  of  the  mission  people 
to  send  me  a  message  to  go  to  them  at  once,  that  they 
were  'mighty  bad,  and  reckoned  that  they  had  putty 
nigh  retched  the  end  of  their  rope.'  In  response  to 
a  message  of  this  kind,  I  went  to  see  a  woman,  who 
had  a  great  deal  to  say  about  a  long  life  misspent. 
I  felt  very  anxious  that  Mr.  Satterlee  should  see  her ; 
her  advantages  had  been  so  meagre,  it  seemed  to  me 
that  the  poor  unhappy  soul  might  find  peace  if  the 
good  priest,  whom  I  knew  and  trusted,  could  talk  to 
her.  So  I  hurried  off  just  as  the  sun  was  rising  over 
the  mountain.     "When  I  reached  the  rectory  they  had 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  103 

just  finished  breakfast.  We  were  six  miles  from  the 
woman's  cabin,  and  Mr.  Satterlee  had  a  wedding  to 
attend  to  at  noon ;  but  he  said  certainly  he  would  go 
at  once.  One  of  the  lay  readers  at  our  mission  went 
with  him;  and  as  we  knelt  there,  and  I  heard  his  kind 
voice  raised  in  prayer  to  God  in  behalf  of  the  poor 
woman,  asking  for  mercy  and  forgiveness,  I  felt  sure 
that  the  petition  would  be  granted.  The  result  was 
that  the  woman  changed  her  life  altogether,  and  lived 
for  several  months.  The  good  of  that  visit  was  far- 
reachmg.  Three  of  her  grandchildren  were  sent  to 
school  to  us.  Subsequently  these  with  the  mother 
were  baptized,  and  the  mother  and  eldest  girl  were 
also  confirmed. 

"A  gentleman  said  to  me  one  day,  'Mr.  Satterlee 
is  very  hard  on  horses,  etc'  A  farmer  standing  near 
and  hearing  the  conversation,  remarked,  'Wal,  he's  a 
gentleman,  he  is,  and  if  the  mare  had  any  sense  she 
would  be  proud  to  haul  such  a  man.' 

"The  wedding  of  a  mountain  pair  was  celebrated 
in  Grace  Church,  Morganton.  The  marriage  was  one 
of  convenience  altogether;  but  as  the  bride  was  past 
fifty,  and  the  groom  several  years  her  senior,  it  was 
to  be  supposed  they  had  reached  years  of  discretion. 
I  was  honored  with  an  invitation  to  the  breakfast, 
which  followed  the  ceremony.  Some  of  the  friends 
of  the  groom  had  prepared  very  nice  refreshments. 
Mr.  Satterlee  was  trying  to  preserve  a  serious  man- 
ner, as  the  occasion  called  for,  when  suddenly  the 
bride  called  out,  'Oh,  shucks,  let's  go  home.     Them 


io4  A  FISHER  OF  MEN.       ' 

there  hogs  ain't  been  fed  since  last  night.'  She 
referred  to  the  swine  that  were  part  inducement  to 
the  business  transaction  that  had  taken  place  that 
morning.  I  will  never  forget  the  expression  on  Mr. 
Satterlee's  face.  Yet  he  was  just  as  kind  and 
thoughtful  of  that  uncouth  old  woman  as  if  she  were 
a  lady.  He  was  so  considerate  of  every  one.  I  never 
knew  him  to  do  a  selfish  act,  or  an  unkind  one. 

"When  the  mission  people  would  take  in  greens 
that  they  might  have  a  hand  in  the  trimming  of  the 
parish  church,  at  Christmas,  he  would  be  sure  to  set 
them  in  a  conspicuous  place,  where  they  could  see 
them,  and  be  assured  that  their  contributions  to  the 
church  decorations  were  appreciated. 

"When  the  time  came  for  him  to  leave  us,  I  met  a 
man  whom  Mr.  Satterlee  had  helped  to  overcome  a 
bad  habit,  and  said  this  strong  man.  with  tears  in  his 
eyes,  'How  can  we  let  him  go?  I  feel  all  broken  up 
over  this.' 

"I  will  always  remember  the  early  celebration  of 
the  Holy  Communion  held  at  the  mission  after  there 
had  been  several  confirmed.  He  came  out  frequently 
in  the  early  morning;  it  was  so  sweet  and  peaceful. 
As  I  look  back  to  those  days,  I  think  now  as  I  did 
then,  that  the  work  was  such  a  good  one;  and  I 
rejoice  at  the  privilege  of  having  had  Mr.  Satterlee 
as  a  leader  and  guide  in  it ;  always  ready  to  encour- 
age one  with  some  apt  quotation,  'Be  not  weary  in 
well  doing;  for  in  due  time  ye  shall  reap  if  ye  faint 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  105 

not.'  Dear  Mr.  Satterlee!  The  world  is  better  for 
the  brief  time  he  was  in  it." 

A  clergyman  from  the  North  who  visited  Satterlee 
in  Morganton,  gives  the  following  account  of  his 
visit  to  one  of  the  mission  stations : 

"J  well  remember  a  Sunday  afternoon,  a  little  more 
that  seven  years  ago,  on  which  I  drove  out  to  the 
most  remote  of  these  missions.  The  ruts  were  so 
deep  in  the  roads  that  the  axles  of  the  buggy  now 
and  again  touched  the  road  between  them.  When  I 
commented  on  this  to  the  lay  reader  in  charge,  he  told 
me  of  an  afternoon  when  it  had  taken  Mr.  Satterlee 
and  him  four  hours  to  drive  the  eight  miles,  being 
compelled  several  times  to  stop  and  pry  the  buggy 
out  of  the  mud  with  fence  rails.  He  assured  me  that 
since  the  opening  of  the  chapel  two  years  before, 
there  had  not  been  a  Sunday  on  which  the  service  was 
omitted.  The  chapel  stood  in  the  woods;  there  was 
not  a  house  in  sight.  But  it  was  crowded  to  the  doors 
with  typical  mountaineers,  some  of  whom  I  was  told 
had  driven  twelve  miles  in  springless  wagons  drawn 
by  oxen.  The  Methodist  circuit  rider  had  ridden 
there  on  an  aged  mule  of  preternatural  gravity.  The 
women  had  brought  their  babies,  and  were  dipping 
snuff  all  the  time.  But  the  congregation  was  reverent 
and  earnest.  The  people  filled  the  seats.  They  stood 
so  thick  in  the  doorway  that  it  was  difficult  for  us  to 
get  in.  They  sat  all  over  the  steps  of  the  chancel 
platform.  They  sat  on  the  window  sills,  and  boys 
and  girls  fought  for  favorite  branches  of  trees  from 


io6  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

which  they  could  see  and  hear.  I  was  informed  that 
the  majority  of  those  in  that  congregation  had  never 
been  in  any  place  of  public  worship  till  that  chapel 
was  built.  It  was  near  this  place  that  Sister  Ella,  a 
deaconess  working  in  the  early  days,  asked  a  sixteen- 
year-old  boy  if  he  had  ever  heard  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  received  the  startling  reply,  'No,  he  don't  live 
near  here.  Perhaps  he  lives  out  on  the  big  road.' 
While  we  were  there  lay  readers  were  conducting 
services  at  the  two  other  chapels,  and  that  morning 
and  evening  lay  readers  conducted  the  services  at  the 
colored  church,  while  I  officiated  at  the  parish  church, 
Mr.  Satterlee  having  gone  with  the  Bishop  to  Valle 
Crucis,  to  forward  the  mission  work  at  that  point." 

One  who  was  present  on  the  occasion  of  a  Con- 
firmation Service  held  at  the  Chapel  of  the  Good 
Shepherd  has  written  a  graphic  description  of  the 
scene,  which  must  have  been  quite  Apostolic  in  its 
rustic  simplicity : 

"On  Easter  Day,  1898,  the  Bishop  of  Washington, 
at  the  request  of  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese,  came  to 
visit  the  Chapel  of  the  Good  Shepherd.  It  was  a 
memorable  afternoon.  The  skies  were  bright  and 
the  air  was  fragrant  with  the  flowers  of  early  spring. 
Birds  were  twittering  in  the  branches.  The  congre- 
gation came  from  all  sides,  on  horseback,  on  foot, 
and  in  strange  primitive  equipages,  many  of  the  peo- 
ple bearing  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  country  folk- 
described  so  vividly  by  Shakespeare.  The  chapel  was 
a  one-story  house,  with  a  wide  piazza  in  front     The 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  107 

walls  of  the  interior  were  dressed  in  festoons  of 
white,  by  the  deaconess  and  her  assistants,  and 
flowers  were  everywhere.  We  came  both  to  a  disap- 
pointment and  an  agreeable  surprise.  The  room 
itself  could  not  hold  one-tenth  of  the  congregation, 
and  therefore  the  services  were  held  on  the  piazza  in 
the  open  air.  The  diminutive  organ  was  brought 
out,  and  the  choir  took  their  places.  The  old  moun- 
taineers ranged  themselves  in  a  semi-circle,  sitting  on 
logs,  which  were  lying  about  in  profusion,  eyeing  the 
Bishop  in  his  robes  as  though  he  were  some  wild 
animal,  who  had  been  caught  and  brought  in  for  the 
occasion,  and  nudging  each  other,  with  a  broad  grin 
on  their  faces.  Soon,  however,  these  simple  folk  felt 
the  reverence  of  the  occasion,  and  the  change  which 
came  over  the  hundreds  present  was  very  marked. 

"After  the  Bishop  had  spoken,  explaining  the  rite 
of  Confirmation  in  simple  words,  he  laid  his  hands 
upon  the  heads  of  those  who  knelt  before  him.  The 
scene  was  a  memorable  one.  I  felt  as  though  I  was 
living  in  some  other  century,  and  was  looking  upon 
people  who  were  drinking  in  the  first  experiences  of 
our  Church  with  her  beautiful  services." 

Material  for  telling  more  in  detail  the  story  of  the 
interesting  and  unique  work  among  the  mountain 
people  which  Satterlee  was  able  to  accomplish 
through  enlisting  the  services  of  the  members  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew  happily  exists  in  the 
form  of  a  graphic  description  from  his  own  pen.  It 
is  probably  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  this  account 


io8  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

constitutes  the  most  heroic  record  of  missionary  work 
ever  undertaken  and  carried  on  by  any  body  of  lay- 
men belonging  to  the  Episcopal  Church.  The  article 
was  first  published  in  the  January  number  of  the 
St.  Andrew's  Crass,  1900,  and  was  subsequently 
issued  in  pamphlet  form  by  the  Morganton  Chapter 
of  the  Brotherhood.  Nothing  could  be  more  satis- 
factory than  to  have  the  story  of  this  remarkable 
missionary  enterprise  set  forth  by  him  who  was  the 
leader  and  guide  in  it. 

"What  Laymen  Can  Do  In  Mission  Work"  is  the 
title  under  which  the  article  appeared.  Both  in  its 
title  and  the  use  of  the  plural  pronoun  the  account 
exemplifies  the  characteristic  modesty  of  the  man  and 
his  habit  of  giving  to  others  associated  with  himself 
in  the  enterprises  which  he  initiated  and  carried  on 
their  full  measure  of  credit. 

"In  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains  of  Virginia,  North 
Carolina  and  Tennessee  there  lives  a  class  of  people 
very  unlike  the  majority  of  the  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  with  customs  and  ideas  peculiar  to  themselves. 
Many  of  them  have  a  keen,  native  intelligence, 
though  they  possess  neither  education  nor  knowledge 
of  the  world.  These  mountaineers  are  often  mis- 
judged or  unappreciated,  and  comparatively  little  has 
been  done  to  plant  the  Church  among  the  scattered 
communities  in  which  they  live.  One  reason  for  this 
oversight  may  have  been  the  opinion  that  our  Church, 
with  its  liturgical  service,  would  not  appeal  to,  or  be 
understood  by  an  uneducated  people,  ignorant  of  the 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  109 

conventionalities  of  present-day  life.  To  be  a 
Churchman  requires  intelligence,  but  not  necessarily 
education.  A  confusion  of  the  two  terms,  intelli- 
gence and  education,  is  the  cause  of  many  a  failure  to 
understand  aggressive  work  in  winning  souls  for 
Christ. 

"The  General  Convention  of  1895,  realizing  the 
important  character  of  this  Piedmont  mountain 
region,  especially  in  North  Carolina,  set  apart  the 
western  portion  of  the  State  as  the  Missionary  Dis- 
trict of  Asheville.  A  few  months  before,  a  Chapter 
of  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew  had  been  estab- 
lished in  Grace  Parish,  Morganton.  The  question 
which  immediately  confronted  its  members  was, 
What  special  united  work  shall  the  Chapter  under- 
take? The  answer  was  unmistakably  written  in  the 
valleys  and  upon  the  rugged  peaks  of  the  everlasting 
hills.  These  mountain  sentinels  beckoned  us  to  come 
to  teach  the  mountaineers  the  Gospel  message.  In 
several  portions  of  the  surrounding  country  the  vis- 
itations of  a  Christian  minister  of  any  name  were  of 
rare  occurrence.  So  the  Brotherhood  Chapter  deter- 
mined to  start  a  mission.  One  of  the  members  agreed 
to  become  a  lay  reader  and  catechist,  and  to  go  every 
Sunday  afternoon  to  this  point,  eight  miles  distant 
from  the  church,  for  the  rector  had  the  services  of  the 
parish  church  at  Morganton  to  look  after.  In  a  little 
log  hut,  which,  after  the  Brotherhood,  was  named  St. 
Andrew's,  the  first  services  were  held.  The  people 
seemed  to  appreciate  them  and  the  Brotherhood  men, 


no  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

for  the  lay  reader  and  his  helpers  were  faithful  and 
enthusiastic. 

"Successful  work  of  any  description  will  generally 
expand  ;  and,  in  our  case,  St.  Andrew's  Mission  was 
succeeded  by  another,  named  The  Good  Shepherd. 
Instead  of  an  old  log  hut,  as  before,  with  cracks  in 
the  walls  and  a  fireplace  of  the  last  century,  a  palatial 
'country  store'  was  placed  at  our  disposal  by  some 
friendly  Methodists  and  Baptists.  Fortunately,  our 
parish  church  contained  additional  material  for  lay 
readers  and  Sunday-school  teachers.  A  second 
Brotherhood  man  consented  to  go  each  Sunday  to 
this  new  mission  to  conduct  service  and  make  an 
address.  Four  months  later  a  third  mission  was 
started,  called  at  first  the  Mission  of  the  Messiah,  but 
for  obvious  reasons  renamed  soon  afterward  St. 
George's. 

"We  were  thus  responsible  for  three  missions.  The 
rector  arranged  to  visit  each  one  Sunday  afternoon  a 
month,  while  the  lay  readers  gave  weekly  services. 
Before  long  Sunday-schools  were  found  to  be  even 
more  necessary  than  church  services,  experience  lead- 
ing the  rector  and  the  Brotherhood  men  to  realize 
how  much  they  could  accomplish  by  little  additional 
effort  in  this  direction.  As  the  faults  in  the  work 
became  apparent  we  corrected  them  one  by  one.  A 
day  school  was  seen  to  be  necessary  to  teach  the  chil- 
dren how  to  read  the  Bible  and  the  Prayer  Book  and 
how  to  study  their  Sunday-school  lessons  at  home. 
Then,   too,   the  young  people  needed  looking  after 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  i" 

during  the  week.  So,  a  deaconess  was  sent  to  us  by 
the  Bishop.  We  had  often  thought  how  much  good 
could  be  accomplished  in  this  way,  but  we  had  never 
dared  to  hope  for  such  a  privilege,  and  we  willingly 
solicited  funds  for  her  support.  It  seemed  to  be  the 
will  of  God  that  our  work  should  prosper.  Next, 
three  chapels  were  built  for  us  within  a  year  by  kind 
friends.  St.  George's  Chapel  was  given  by  St. 
George's  Sunday-school  in  New  York,  the  others  by 
individual  subscriptions.  The  influence  of  a  deacon- 
ess living  among  the  people  soon  became  apparent. 
Her  success  was  almost  phenomenal.  At  present 
there  are  seven  women  teachers,  in  charge  of  five 
flourishing  day  schools,  and  endeavoring  to  build  up 
Christian  character  generally.  These  teachers  work 
in  full  harmony  and  sympathy  with  the  Brotherhood. 
In  the  Church  service  and  Sunday-school  the  lay 
reader  acts  as  the  rector's  deputy,  but  in  the  temporal 
affairs  of  the  mission  the  teacher  in  charge  has  full 
sway.  This  has  proved  a  wise  arrangement.  During 
the  past  few  months  the  care  of  the  colored  mission 
services  in  Morganton  has  been  undertaken  by  mem- 
bers of  the  Chapter,  and  the  outlook  is  quite  hopeful. 
Ours  is  thus  almost  entirely  country  rescue  mission 
work,  and  oftentimes  we  look  with  envious  eyes  upon 
other  Chapters  which  are  so  successful  in  ways  in 
which  we  are  deficient. 

"So  much  for  what  we  undertook  to  do.  What,  it 
may  be  asked,  has  been  the  result?  Does  our  Church, 
with  her  service  of  Common  Prayer,  attract  and  hold 

8 


ii2  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

the  uneducated  mountain  people?  In  reply  we  are 
able  to  give  an  unqualified  affirmative.  But  first, 
What  aroused  and  perpetuated  this  work  in  a  small 
country  parish,  where  there  was  little  money  to  help 
in  conducting  the  missions?  The  rector  was  not 
ubiquitous  and  could  not  attend  all  the  services.  The 
congregation  of  the  parish  church  was  unable  to  sup- 
port an  assistant.  The  mountain  people  might  have 
given  salary  in  vegetables  and  farm  produce,  but  they 
could  not  contribute  money.  The  Bishop  was  power- 
less to  give  us  any  of  the  meagre  funds  at  his  disposal 
to  support  an  additional  clergyman.  The  answer  is, 
the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew  made  this  work  pos- 
sible. It  could  not  have  been  accomplished  without 
the  interest  and  co-operation  of  the  laymen,  and  their 
interest  could  not  have  been  aroused  without  the  sim- 
ple yet  thorough  organization  of  the  Brotherhood. 
Secondly,  this  illustrates  the  truth  of  an  old,  though 
somewhat  disputed,  principle,  that  mission  work  to  be 
successful  to  the  greatest  degree  must  be  undertaken 
in  connection  with  a  parish  church.  Isolated  missions 
with  their  monthly  or  bi-monthly  services  are  not  as 
thriving  as  those  conducted  in  union  with  a  prosper- 
ous parish.  The  reason  is  obvious.  Interdependence 
of  obligation  arouses  interest.  It  is  good  for  the  par- 
ish church;  it  strengthens  the  mission.  Above  all.  it 
illustrates  the  principle  of  the  organic  unity  of  the 
Catholic  Church.  When  on  Easter  and  Christmas, 
these  people  of  the  missions  come  six  and  eight  miles, 
on  foot,  on  mule  back  and  in  springless  wagons  over 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  "3 

the  worst  possible  roads,  with  their  Sunday-schools, 
each  carrying  its  banner,  to  join  in  a  carol  service  at 
the  parish  church,  the  sight  is  inspiring.  It  brings  to 
the  mission  school  children  a  consciousness  that  the 
Church  is  their  spiritual  home,  while  it  does  the  peo- 
ple of  Grace  Church  and.  in  fact,  the  whole  commu- 
nity a  vast  amount  of  good  to  view  the  old  farm 
wasfons  drawn  by  mules  and  tied  to  the  hitching 
posts  of  that  Church  which  is  sometimes  called  'the 
Church  of  the  rich." 

"Have  the  mission  people  shown  their  appreciation 
of  the  services?  And  if  so,  in  what  manner?  Lay 
reading,  of  course,  is  never  as  popular  and  satisfac- 
tory as  services  conducted  by  an  experienced  parish 
priest.  The  lay  readers  realize  this  and  they  have 
never  once  infringed  upon  the  prerogative  of  the 
pastor.  A  few  individuals  who  loudly  affirm  that 
'lay  services  arc  no  better  than  no  services,'  have  on 
occasions  escaped  from  the  chapels,  when  they 
awaited  a  clergyman  and  discovered  that  it  was  the 
lay  reader  who  unexpectedly  appeared — a  lawyer,  or 
an  insurance  man.  or  a  grain  merchant;  but  such 
exhibitions  of  displeasure  have  been  rare.  The  peo- 
ple came  to  these  missions  because  tney  found  thev 
could  meet  God  there,  even  if  it  were  a  layman  who 
endeavored  to  point  Him  out.  On  a  recent  Sunday, 
an  average  day.  there  were  two  hundred  and  sixty 
people  attending  the  services.  The  number  of  bap- 
tisms, in  the  neighborhood  of  fifty,  shows  the  import- 
ance the  people  place  upon  this  Sacrament.      Many 


ii4  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

have  been  confirmed,  while  nine-tenths  of  the  number 
who  have  been  confirmed  receive  the  Lord's  Supper 
whenever  an  opportunity  presents  itself.  During  the 
year  the  aggregate  attendance  has  reached  fifteen 
thousand. 

"Sometimes  it  has  been  most  difficult  to  reach  the 
chapels  on  account  of  the  inclemency  of  the  weather 
and  other  reasons,  but  neither  rain,  snow  nor  mud 
has  kept  the  lay  readers  from  their  duty.    Frequently 
the  rivers  have  been  so  high  that  one's  feet  had  to  be 
rested  on  the  dash-board,  or  one  has  been  compelled 
to  stand  on  the  seat  when  the  buggy  was  partly  sub- 
merged by  high  waters.     The  good-natured  endur- 
ance of  such  slight  discomforts  has  won  the  respect 
and  affection  of  the  people.    The  first  man  to  be  con- 
firmed was  not  singled  out  by  the  rector  and  urged  to 
join  a  class  for  preparation.     He  came  of  his  own 
accord  to  one  of  the  laymen  and  announced  his  desire 
to  be  confirmed.     When  he  was  asked  why  he  had 
made  the   request,   his  reply  was  that  the  devotion 
which  the  laymen  had  shown  convinced  him  that  the 
Church  they  represented  was  a  Church  which  fostered 
robust  manhood,  and  therefore  the  Church  of  which 
he   desired   to   be   a   member.      'People    from   other 
churches.'  he  said,  '  have  come  out  here  to  hold  ser- 
vices, but  as  soon  as  something  has  happened  to  dis- 
courage them,  or  as  soon  as  bad  weather  began  to 
make  traveling  unpleasant,  they  stopped  coming.    We 
like   the   Brotherhood   men   because   they   are   good 
weather,  bad  weather,  all  the  year  round,  workers.' 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  "5 

"In  what  respect  are  the  people  bettered?  In  the 
same  way  that  the  unenlightened  people  in  New  York 
or  any  other  city  are  influenced  and  bettered  by  con- 
tact with  the  Church; — in  appearance  and  manners, 
by  an  ambition  to  read  and  write,  and  by  their  grow- 
ing appreciation  of  the  worship  of  the  Book  of  Com- 
mon Prayer. 

"We  have  adopted  different  systems  of  introducing 
the  Church  Service  at  different  missions.  At  one,  we 
began  the  first  Sunday  with  a  leaflet;  at  another,  with 
selections  from  the  leaflet,  marking  the  portions  to  be 
used  with  a  red  cross.  At  a  third,  we  began  with  the 
'portion  of  Scripture,'  the  'few  remarks'  and  the 
'extemporaneous  prayers,'  and  after  ten  months  intro- 
duced the  leaflet.  Each  of  these  methods  has  its 
advantages  as  well  as  its  drawbacks.  The  use  of  the 
liturgical  service  at  once  is  apt,  if  not  to  antagonize, 
to  puzzle  and  intimidate  the  people.  On  the  other 
hand,  waiting  to  feel  the  way  sometimes  makes  it 
awkward  to  change  the  method  of  worship  and  to 
give  a  satisfactory  reason  for  doing  so.  The  congre- 
gation is  afraid  to  respond  at  first,  but  enjoys  it  after- 
ward. The  people  soon  learn  to  feel  that  they  have 
a  share  in  the  worship,  and  participation  creates  inter- 
est. A  man  from  one  of  the  chapels  of  another 
Christian  body  who  examined  our  Prayer  Book 
exclaimed,  T  shall  never  be  satisfied  until  I  have  gone 
forward  before  the  congregation  and  received  Con- 
firmation, thereby  acknowledging  to  the  world,  in  the 
presence  of  God.  my  repentance  and  receiving  for- 


n6  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

giveness  of  all  my  sins,  and  strength  and  gifts  to 
persevere  in  the  Christian  life.' 

"To  show  how  the  people  have  improved  is  a  diffi- 
cult matter,  but  to  us  it  is  unmistakably  evident.  We 
remember  years  ago  when  one  of  the  women  of  the 
parish,  in  the  goodness  of  her  heart,  drove  sixteen 
miles  out  into  the  country  through  mud  axle  deep,  to 
teach  the  children  the  Christmas  carols,  and  after 
singing  one  of  the  carols  alone  about  six  times, 
inquired — perhaps  with  a  little  righteous  indigna- 
tion--'Children,  why  don't  you  join  in?'  The 
answer  was  far  more  chilling  than  the  cold  breezes 
and  more  aggravating  than  the  mndholes.  but  beauti- 
fully frank:  'We  didn't  come  yere  to  sing;  we  come 
to  hear  you  'uns  sing.'  Now  things  are  different. 
I  ast  Christmas  the  people  at  one  mission  would  not 
allow  us  to  send  a  wagon  to  bring  them  from  the 
country  to  the  carol  services.  'We  wish  to  take  care 
of  ourselves.'  was  their  answer;  and  a  very  self- 
respecting  answer  it  was.  Recently  we  inquired  why 
certain  mountain  children  knew  so  much  poetry,  and 
discovered  that  they  read  all  the  books  and  papers 
which  came  into  their  homes  and  learned  all  the 
try  which  appealed  to  them — the  result  of  the 
schools.  '.\!v.  how  they  do  enjoy  them  verses!'  was 
their  mother's  expression  of  gratitude. 

"There  are  many  picturesque  features  in  the  lives 
of  these  people.  On  the  winter  evenings  while  wait- 
ing outside  the  chapel  for  the  service  or  entertainment 
to  commence,  they  build  a  large  bonfire  and  gather 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  "7 

within  the  warm,  bright  glow  of  the  flames;  the 
women  in  large  calico  sun-bonnets,  regardless  of  the 
weather:  the  men  tall  and  gaunt,  with  deeply  lined 
faces ;  the  young  people  laughing  and  joking.  When 
the  time  comes  to  go  home,  they  light  their  pine 
torches  and  start  in  the  darkness  on  the  long  home- 
ward tramp,  the  men  sometimes  carrying  the  chil- 
dren. Very  often  streams  have  to  be  waded ;  that  is, 
if  the  crossing  log  has  been  swept  away;  and  when 
the  cozy  log  house  is  reached,  we  may  be  sure  that 
the  tired  parents  and  sleepy  children  appreciate  the 
comforts  of  the  wide  beds,  covered  with  their  patch- 
work quilts,  the  result  of  the  women's  work  during 
the  winter  days.  When  the  mud  is  so  deep  that  walk- 
ing is  impossible,  a  family  mule  is  brought  to  the 
mission,  with  as  many  as  it  can  hold  upon  its  back, 
the  journey  to  the  chapel  and  home  again  being  slow 
but  sure.  As  there  is  nobody  at  home  with  whom  to 
leave  the  baby,  the  mother  is  obliged  to  take  her  little 
infant  to  church  with  her,  and  one  becomes  so  accus- 
tomed to  the  various  wails  and  cries,  that  after  a 
service  in  one  of  the  chapels  the  stillness  in  the  parish 
church  seems  abnormally  restful. 

"It  is  a  touching  sight  to  see  a  whole  family  come 
to  Baptism.  A  father,  mother  and  five  children  were 
baptized  last  winter,  beginning  with  the  oldest  and 
going  so,  in  order,  down  to  the  baby. 

"A  marriage  always  draws  a  great  crowd  and 
seems  to  impress  the  people  very  much.  The  last  one 
presented  a  difficult  problem,  as  the  young  woman 


n8  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

refused  to  let  go  of  her  father's  hand  and  the  groom 
was  too  shy  to  come  forward.  One  man  in  the  con- 
gregation was  heard  to  say,  in  an  awed  whisper, 
'Lor',  I  could  never  go  through  that.' 

"The  Mothers'  Meetings  are  always  well  attended, 
and  are  doing  much  to  teach  and  elevate  the  women 
in  their  home  life,  and  also  to  give  them  practical, 
common-sense  knowledge.  The  Progressive  Clubs 
are  holding  the  interest  of  the  young  people  and  are 
improving  them  wonderfully.  Whereas,  the  subject 
for  debate  at  the  first  meeting  was,  'Which  is  better, 
a  horse  or  a  mule?'  'The  Future  of  the  Philippines' 
was  the  last  subject  under  discussion. 

"Our  Brotherhood  men  have  found  out  the  old 
truth  that  he 

"  'Who  gives  himself  with  alms  feeds  three, 
Himself,  his  hungering  neighbor  and  Me.' 

"Working  for  others  helps  self  almost  more  than 
it  does  them.  It  creates  in  one  a  manly  ambition ;  it 
engenders  humility.  Without  any  cant  or  exaggera- 
tion the  rector  of  the  missions  can  say  that,  in  several 
places  he  has  seen  the  whole  religious  tone  of  the 
community  raised  by  the  life  and  example  of  the 
Brotherhood  workers. 

"Nothing  is  so  interesting  as  human  nature.  There 
is  a  God-ward  side  to  every  character,  and  divine 
instincts  that  will  respond  to  every  appeal  that  is 
really  made  in  the  Name  of  Christ.  Our  American 
life   is   teeming   with   opportunities,   but   it   requires 


WORK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  "9 

courage  to  seize  them;; — not  the  courage  of  the  sol- 
dier on  the  battlefield ;  not  the  courage  of  the  financier 
or  of  the  statesman,  but  of  the  Christian  who  dares 
to  speak  for  Christ,  in  Christ's  own  way,  through 
His  Church." 


CHAPTER  V. 

TRINITY  CHURCH,  COLUMBIA. 

The  work  which  Satterlee  was  doing  in  Morgan- 
ton  began,  as  time  went  on,  to  attract  much  attention 
throughout  the  South,  and  particularly  in  neighbor- 
ing dioceses.  He  came  to  be  widely  regarded  as  an 
energetic  and  successful  man,  and  it  was,  therefore, 
inevitable  that  prominent  parishes  in  that  section 
seeking  a  rector  should  have  their  thoughts  directed 
toward  him.  In  the  spring  of  1900,  Trinity  Church, 
Columbia,  S.  C,  the  largest  parish  in  the  Carolinas, 
numbering  over  five  hundred  communicants,  lost  its 
rector  by  his  removal  to  Richmond,  and  the  vestry 
began  to  take  steps  to  fill  the  vacancy.  A  former 
parishioner  of  Grace  Church,  Morganton,  a  member 
of  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew,  and  a  close  friend 
and  great  admirer  of  the  rector's,  had  removed  to 
Columbia  about  a  year  previous  to  this  time.  Know- 
ing that  the  pastorate  of  Trinity  was  vacant,  he  men- 
tioned Satterlee's  name  to  one  of  the  wardens,  who, 
in  turn,  brought  the  matter  before  the  vestry.  This 
gentleman  was  straightway  invited  to  appear  before 
that  body  and  give  information  in  detail  about  the 
character  and  attainments  of  his  former  pastor.     So 


COLUMBIA.  121 

enthusiastic  was  he  in  his  remarks  and  so  laudatory 
in  his  statements,  that  he  succeeded  in  creating  a 
strong  desire  to  secure  Satterlee  for  the  rectorship. 
As  a  member  of  the  vestry  in  speaking  of  the  matter 
afterwards,  said,  "We  really  did  not  believe  that  any 
such  man  existed,  but  if  he  did,  we  felt  we  must  have 
him." 

In  reading  the  following  letter  written  after  Satter- 
lee's  death  by  this  gentleman  who  proposed  his  name, 
one  can  well  imagine  how  eloquently  he  must  have 
advocated  the  choice  of  his  friend  for  the  vacant  pas- 
torate of  Trinity.  The  communication  is  addressed 
to  Mrs.  Churchill  Satterlee : 

"It  has  seemed  almost  impossible  for  me  to  dry  my 
eyes  or  steady  my  hand  to  write,  when  at  times  I 
have  begun  to  realize  the  great  blow  that  has  fallen 
upon  us  all.  I  had  no  scheme  of  life,  I  might  say  no 
dream  of  life  in  which  Churchill  Satterlee,  my  friend 
and  brother,  as  well  as  rector,  was  not  a  vital  factor. 
It  never  occurred  to  me  that  my  advancing  and 
declining  years  would  not  be  comforted  and  cheered 
by  the  splendid  fellowship  which  has  grown  and 
strengthened  between  us  since  the  beginning  of  our 
acquaintance.  That  we  did  not  correspond  as  fre- 
quently as  some  friends  do  is  of  no  greater  signifi- 
cance than  that  when  thrown  with  him,  I  did  not  say 
all  that  I  had  meant  to  say  to  him.  There  was  some- 
thing satisfying  about  his  very  existence  and  the 
supremest  comfort  and  delight  in  his  presence.  Xo 
misunderstandings  could  live  between  us.  and  to  me 


i22  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

as  to  many  another,  he  was  the  most  real  exemplifi- 
cation of  true  and  living  Christianity  that  could  be 
presented.  In  the  pressure  and  crush  of  business  I 
have  stopped  and  thought  of  him.  and  the  days  we 
have  spent  together,  of  our  long  rides,  with  his  arm 
affectionately  around  my  shoulders;  of  the  evenings 
in  his  study  in  Morganton,  when  he  would  speak  of 
you  and  your  coming  to  share  his  life  and  work;  of 
the  days  when  you  and  he  lived  there  together; 
and  afterward  when  you  came  again  into  my  life  in 
Columbia,  so  naturally,  that  the  existence  of  the  inter- 
val of  more  than  a  year  was  forgotten  in  the  joy  of 
reunion.  All  these  have  often,  1  might  say  daily, 
come  hack  to  me  accompanied  by  the  hope,  aye,  the 
belief  that  they  were  all  to  be  lived  over  again. 

"It  must  be  that  'beyond  this  bourne  of  time  and 
place,'  all  this  is  to  be,  and  more  which  now  we  can- 
not understand,  but  which  he  knows,  just  as  we  felt 
that  he  always  knew,  even  as  he  walked  among  men. 

"Others  have  spoken  and  written  of  him  better 
than  I  am  able  to  do,  but  none  have  said  more  than  I 
have  always  known,  and  to  none  will  his  life  be  more 
of  a  living  reality  than  to  me. 

"The  hymn,  sung  as  his  body  was  carried  from 
the  church,  was  the  refrain  of  the  glorious  song  of 
his  life:  the  message  of  his  spirits  to  his  people.  'May 
Jesus  Christ  be  praised:  ' 

A  delegation  from  the  vestry  was  sent  to  Morgan- 
ton  to  make  a  personal  investigation,  which  resulted 
favorablv,   and   an   immediate  call   to  the  rectorship 


COLUMBIA.  123 

was  unanimously  extended.  This  call  was  delivered 
in  person  by  the  two  wardens  and  the  assurance  was 
received  that  it  would  be  duly  considered.  Satterlee 
went  to  Columbia  shortly  afterwards  to  look  over 
the  field. 

While  there  he  met  the  vestry  as  a  body  and  in- 
quired particularly  whether  in  case  of  his  acceptance, 
Ihe  congregation  would  object  to  his  undertaking 
mission  work  in  poor  communities,  and  on  occasions 
bringing  the  people  of  such  mission  to  Trinity 
Church  for  united  worship.  He  was  assured  that  no 
obstacle  would  be  thrown  in  the  way  of  .his  doing 
any  good  work,  or  in  the  methods  adopted  by  him 
for  accomplishing  it,  provided,  of  course,  that  he 
would  not  leave  undone  the  proper  ministration  to 
Trinity  Church. 

He  went  from  Columbia  to  Washington  and  thence 
back  to  Morganton,  from  which  place  he  wrote 
accepting  the  call,  promising  to  take  up  his  duties  on 
the  first  Sunday  in  January. 

The  following  is  the  text  of  the  call  issued  by  the 
vestry,  with  Satterlee's  reply  accepting  the  same : 

"November  5,  1900. 
"Rev.  and  dear  Sir : — 

"As  Senior  Warden  of  Trinity  Church  of  this  city, 
and  as  such,  in  the  absence  of  a  rector.  Chairman  of 
the  Vestry,  I  have  the  honor  and  the  very  sincere 
pleasure  of  officially  asking  you  to  accept  the  rector- 
ship of  this  parish,  to  which  you  were  unanimously 


i24  A   FISHER  OF  MEN. 

elected  by  our  vestry  on  the  third  day  of  this  month. 
At  a  meeting  of  our  congregation  held  this  afternoon 
after  due  notice  this  action  of  the  vestry  was  unani- 
mously approved. 

"We  offer  you  a  salary  of  $2,100  a  year,  payable  in 
monthly  installments,  and  the  use  of  a  convenient  and 
commodious  rectory. 

"In  behalf  of  the  vestry  and  congregation  I  express 
the  sincere  wish  that  you  will  favorably  consider  this 
call. 

"With  respect, 

"Faithfully  yours, 

"Robt.   W.   Shand. 
"To  Rev.  Churchill  Satterlee, 

"Morganton,  N.  C." 

"November  21,  1900. 
"Grace    Church    Rectory, 
"Morganton,  N.  C. 
"Robert  W.  Shand,  Esq., 

"Trinity  Church  Vestry. 
"My  dear  Sir: 

"After  careful  and  earnest  consideration  of  the  call 
extended  to  me  by  Trinity  Church,  Columbia,  I  have 
at  last  decided  to  accept  it. 

"It  is  not  without  some  hesitancy,  that  I  follow  in 
the  illustrious  steps  of  such  men  as  the  past  rectors 
of  Trinity  Church,  hut  by  your  kind  indulgence,  and 
by  the  grace  of  God,  I  believe  we  shall  be  happy  in 
our  relations  as  pastor  and  people. 


COLUMBIA.  125 

"I  suggest  Epiphany,  January  6,  1901.  the  first 
Sunday  of  the  month,  as  a  convenient  day  to  assume 
my  duties  as  rector  of  your  Church.  1  should  like 
six  weeks  vacation  in  summer  in  order  to  be  with 
our  parents,  about  which  they  feel  very  strongly. 

"Hoping  that  God  will  bless  our  united  efforts  in 
the  upbuilding  of  His  Kingdom,  I  am,  my  dear  sir, 
with  great  respect  and  esteem, 

"Sincerely  yours, 

"Churchill  Satterlee." 

In  a  previous  chapter  it  was  stated  that  Satterlee 
had  refused  several  flattering  offers  to  leave  Mor- 
ganton  and  accept  work  elsewhere,  but  that  he  pre- 
ferred to  remain  where  he  was,  being  contented  and 
happy  with  his  lot.  Possibly  he  might  have  pre- 
served this  intention  and  resisted  all  inducements  to 
make  any  change  had  it  not  been  for  considerations 
which  he  regarded  as  imperative.  His  salary  of  six 
hundred  dollars  at  Morganton,  now  that  he  had  a 
family  growing  up,  was  wholly  insufficient  for  his 
needs,  modest  as  they  always  were,  and  although  his 
father  was  willing  to  extend  his  financial  assistance, 
his  ability  to  do  so  had  lessened  since  his  acceptance 
of  the  Bishopric  of  Washington,  and  Satterlee  felt 
that  he  ought  to  relieve  him  of  that  burden.  More- 
over, for  some  time  past  the  fact  had  impressed  itself 
upon  him  that  he  needed  the  intellectual  stimulus  only 
capable  of  being  found  in  a  larger  and  more  varied 
community,  if  he  was  to  make  the  most  of  his  talents. 


i26  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

Besides  these  considerations,  he  appreciated  the  fact 
that  his  missionary  labors  in  Morganton  had  about 
reached  their  limits,  and,  with  the  organization  he 
had  perfected,  could  be  easily  carried  on  by  another 
hand.  But  in  order  to  assure  after  his  departure  the 
continuance  of  the  important  work  which  he  had 
established  among  the  mountaineers,  and  to  provide 
the  necessary  funds  for  maintenance,  he  brought  the 
matter  to  the  attention  of  the  General  Board  of  the 
Domestic  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  asking 
that  permanent  provision  be  made  for  carrying  it  on. 
This  the  Society,  on  his  representations  endorsed  and 
approved  by  its  agents  who  were  familiar  with  the 
work,  readily  agreed  to  do.  But,  in  addition  to  these 
considerations,  Satterlee  had  convinced  himself  that 
a  great  work  awaited  him  in  Columbia  among  the 
mill  people,  of  whom  several  thousand  were  settled 
upon  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  and  whose  religious 
needs  appealed  strongly  to  his  missionary  spirit.  In 
leaving  Morganton  and  going  to  Columbia,  Satterlee 
felt  he  was  justified,  not  merely  on  purely  personal 
grounds,  but  that  he  would  thereby  secure  a  wider 
field  for  his  energies  and  opportunity  for  the  fuller 
development  of  his  abilities. 

Satterlee  entered  upon  his  duties  in  Trinity  Church 
on  the  Feast  of  the  Epiphany,  January  6,  1901. 

The  parting  from  his  parishioners  in  Morganton 
was  a  sad  one  for  both  rector  and  people.  The 
impress  which  he  had  made  on  the  whole  community 
was    so    deep    and    abiding,    that    when    his    death 


COLUMBIA.  x27 

occurred  three  years  afterwards,  the  entire  town  was 
plunged  in  mourning,  and  gave  visible  and  vocal  tes- 
timony to  the  universal  respect  and  affection  felt  for 
him  by  all  classes  and  creeds,  in  a  special  memorial 
meeting,  the  details  of  which  are  reserved  for  narra- 
tion in  the  final  chapter.  The  sorrow  on  Satterlee's 
part  at  severing  the  relations  which  bound  him  to  his 
Morgan  ton  flock,  was  equally  sincere,  and  his  affec- 
tionate interest  in  those  among  whom  he  passed  the 
first  years  of  his  ministry  continued  to  display  itself 
in  many  ways. 

Columbia,  where  Satterlee  now  took  up  his  resi- 
dence, was  one  of  the  most  thriving  among  the 
smaller  cities  of  the  South.  As  the  capital  of  the 
State  it  drew  to  itself  representatives  of  the  chief 
political  and  legal  elements  in  the  commonwealth. 
Originally  built  for  the  sole  purpose  of  providing  a 
seat  for  the  State  government,  the  city  for  many 
years  preserved  this  exclusive  character,  and  only 
since  the  war  has  developed  aspects  of  commercial 
and  industrial  life.  Burned  to  the  ground  during  the 
Civil  War,  Columbia  quickly  rose  from  its  ashes  and 
through  the  courage  and  enterprise  of  its  citizens  was 
rebuilt  on  more  substantial  lines,  and  to-day,  with  its 
noble  Capitol,  its  State  and  public  institutions,  its 
fine  business  buildings,  its  State  College,  and  well- 
appointed  public  schools,  its  dignified  church  edifices, 
and  its  many  attractive  homes,  furnishes  ample  evi- 
dence of  the  public  spirit  and  thrift  of  its  inhabitants. 

Trinity  Church  was  one  of  the  most  important  and 


i2S  \   FISHER  OF  MEN. 

influential  parishes  in  the  South,  both  from  the  num- 
ber of  its  communicants  and  the  character  and  social 
prestige  of  the  congregation,  which  comprised  the 
elite  of  the  city.  The  welcome  accorded  the  new 
rector  was  cordial  in  the  extreme.  There  was  never 
any  question  regarding  Satterlee's  Northern  birth 
and  proclivities.  He  was  made  to  feel  at  once  his 
perfect  acceptability  in  his  Southern  environment. 
The  vestry  was  composed  mainly  of  Confederate 
veterans  of  the  Civil  War,  and  the  fact  was  remarked 
at  the  institution  of  the  new  rector,  that  the  spectacle 
of  a  young  Northern  man  receiving  his  induction 
into  a  conservative  Southern  parish  at  the  hand  of  a 
Bishop  who  had  himself  fought  on  the  Confederate 
side,  and  surrounded  by  a  group  of  men  almost  all  of 
whom  bore  wounds  received  in  the  great  fratricidal 
conflict,  was  of  unique  interest. 

In  connection  with  Satterlee's  first  appearance  in 
the  chancel,  a  ludicrous  incident  is  related  which,  at 
the  time,  to  himself  certainly,  afforded  small  occasion 
for  risibility.  It  seems  that  the  trunk  containing  his 
supply  of  vestments  went  astray  en  route  between 
Morganton  and  Columbia,  so  that  when  Sunday 
came  he  found  himself  without  his  clerical  habili- 
ments. There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  borrow  a 
cassock  and  surplice  from  a  brother  priest.  As  Sat- 
terlee  stood  over  six  feet  in  his  stockings  and  was 
proportionately  big  of  frame  and  broad  of  shoulders, 
and  as  the  other  man  was  small  of  stature  and  lightly 
built,  the  vestments  were  anything  but  a  good  fit, — 


COLUMBIA.  129 

in  fact,  the  grotesque  appearance  of  their  new  rector 
with  abbreviated  cassock  and  sleeves  coming  only 
just  below  the  elbows,  was  the  occasion  of  much  sup- 
pressed amusement  on  the  part  of  members  of  the 
congregation.  This  incident,  however,  served,  as  a 
member  of  the  parish  afterwards  remarked,  to  in- 
crease the  respect  felt  for  him,  because  it  was  plainly 
evident  if  he  was  built  on  generous  lines  physically, 
he  was  possessed  of  a  small  supply  of  personal  vanity. 

One  who  was  present  on  the  occasion  gives  a 
description  of  Satterlee's  bearing  under  the  trying 
ordeal  to  which  he  was  subjected. 

"He  had  to  face  a  church  crowded  with  strangers, 
the  majority  of  whom  looked  upon  him  as  simply  a 
mountain  missionary.  He  exhibited  absolutely  no 
hesitation  or  self-consciousness.  His  rendering  of 
the  service,  always  impressive,  was  this  time  superb, 
and  when  he  came  to  the  sermon,  which  was  not  the 
one  prepared  for  the  occasion,  he  more  than  held  his 
own.  There  were  many  who  came  to  criticise,  and 
even  friends  from  North  Carolina  who  feared  the 
ordeal  for  him,  but  as  he  proceeded  a  wave  of  reac- 
tion seemed  to  sweep  over  the  entire  congregation, 
and  when  the  service  was  over,  the  people  seemed  to 
say  with  one  voice,  as  they  left  the  church,  'He's  the 
man.'  " 

Two  weeks  after  Satterlee  entered  upon  his  duties 
his  little  son  Yates  was  stricken  down  with  smallpox, 
and  the  family  found  itself  quarantined  in  the  rec- 
tory.    The  svmnathv  of  the  whole  communitv  went 


i3o  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

out  to  the  rector  and  his  wife  in  their  misfortune  and 
anxiety,  and,  though  debarred  from  offering-  their 
personal  ministrations,  his  parishioners  found  many 
methods  of  expressing  their  deep  concern  and  friendly 
solicitude.  After  the  second  week,  as  the  case  was 
only  a  mild  one,  Satterlee  withdrew  from  the  house 
in  order  to  attend  to  his  parish  duties  and  was  able 
to  communicate  with  his  wife  only  through  the  tele- 
phone or  at  a  distance  from  the  street.  It  was  a 
severe  trial  for  him,  but  it  had  one  good  result,  in 
that  his  trouble  served  to  draw  his  people  closer  to 
him  and  to  early  cement  the  bond  which  united  pas- 
tor and  flock. 

While  Satterlee  enjoyed  intensely  the  society  of 
his  friends,  and  always  kept  open  house  for  his  par- 
ishioners, carrying  his  hospitality  so  far  as  almost  to 
make  of  his  rectory  a  parish  house, — he  was  yet  a 
man  singularly  domestic  in  his  tastes,  and  took  the 
keenest  delight  in  the  companionship  of  his  wife  and 
children.  The  contrast  between  the  lonely  years 
spent  in  Morganton  before  his  second  marriage  and 
his  happy  domestic  life  subsequently  was  most 
marked. 

Satterlee' s  immediate  predecessor  was  an  eloquent 
mid  popular  preacher,  and  the  knowledge  of  this  fact 
caused  him  many  misgivings  regarding  his  ability  to 
satisfy  the  expectations  of  his  new  flock.  Pie  was 
wont  to  acknowledge  humbly  his  own  shortcomings 
in  ibis  respect.  !  le  strongly  felt  that  his  people  were 
rightfully  entitled  to  the  best  he  could  give  them,  and 


COLUMBIA.  131 

he  determined  forthwith  to  make  himself  more  pro- 
ficient in  his  prophetic  office.  In  Morganton,  among 
the  simple  and  kindly  folk  who  constituted  his  par- 
ishioners, he  felt  that  he  was  addressing  a  little  body 
of  friends  to  whom  he  could  speak  in  terms  of  famil- 
iarity and  freedom,  who  loved  him  too  much  to  be 
critical,  but  in  the  case  of  the  conservative  and  cul- 
tured people  who  comprised  his  congregation  in 
Trinity  Church,  Columbia,  he  realized  that  the  pres- 
ence of  a  more  critical  spirit  demanded  a  correspond- 
ing effort  on  his  part.  While  his  sermons  never  lost 
their  simplicity  of  thought  and  expression,  a  gradual 
improvement  in  their  form  and  substance  was  notice- 
able. Particularly  was  this  the  case  in  his  extempo- 
raneous addresses.  One  of  his  Morganton  parish- 
ioners, a  lady  of  culture  and  critical  judgment,  in 
speaking  of  his  first  attempt  at  extemporaneous 
preaching,  said  to  the  writer:  "It  was  positively 
pitiful  to  hear  him.  He  seemed  unable  to  utter  a 
coherent  sentence.  His  thoughts  appeared  to  have 
deserted  him  and  he  floundered  helplessly  through 
his  address,  scarcely  uttering  a  connected  thought. 
It  was  a  great  relief  to  us  when  he  had  finished. 
When  subsequently  I  heard  him  preach  in  Columbia, 
I  was  amazed  at  the  improvement  that  had  taken 
place.  He  spoke  with  ease  and  fluency  and  was  able 
apparently  to  give  full  expression  to  his  thoughts. 
I  congratulated  him  warmly  upon  the  improvement, 
and  told  him  how  surprised  I  was  at  his  success,  and 
added  that  I  believed  he  would  make  a  fine  extempo- 


i32  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

raneous  speaker  if  he  would  persevere  in  it.  I  lis  face 
lit  up  with  an  expression  of  keen  pleasure,  as  he 
remarked  with  boyish  naivete,  cDo  you  really  think 
so,  Mrs.  X. ?'     1  assured  him  I  was  perfectly  sincere." 

Of  Satterlee's  preaching,  one  who  was  very  close 
to  him,  hut  whose  relationship  did  not  impair  his  dis- 
criminating judgment,  writes  in  response  to  a  letter 
of  inquiry  : 

"You  speak  of  Churchill's  sermons.  These  were 
not  eloquent,  for  Churchill's  mind  was  creative. 
rather  than  analytical  or  logical.  He  had  always  a 
great  yearning  to  help  his  people.  He  knew  what  he 
wanted  to  say.  hut  only  slowly  learned  the  art  of  say- 
ing it  in  a  way  that  his  people  would  understand 
what  he  meant. 

"The  criticism  that  1  have  heard  more  than  once 
from  his  most  intelligent  parishioners  was,  that  while 
other  sermonizers  challenged  a  deeper  interest,  or 
were  more  eloquent  than  he,  nevertheless  they  derived 
more  help  from  Churchill's  sermons  than  those  of 
many  others,  because  he  always  gave  them  some  life 
lesson,  which  they  took  home  to  their  hearts; — some 
vital  truth  which  inspired  their  faith,  and  which  they 
could  live  by. 

"Personally,  I  have  not  read  any  of  Churchill's 
sermons  for  a  year  or  more,  and  although  he  had 
greatly  improved  since  that  time,  and  his  sermons 
were  really  more  helpful  to  the  men  of  his  congrega- 
tion than  those  of  his  very  eloquent  predecessor, 
nevertheless.  I  am  inclined  to  the  belief  that  it  was 


COLUMBIA.  133 

his  own   personal   influence,   rather  than  the  words 
which  he  spoke,  which  produced  this  effect." 

One  of  the  wardens  of  Trinity,  in  a  communica- 
tion addressed  to  the  writer,  speaks  in  the  following 
appreciative  terms  of  Satterlee's  character  and  work : 

"Mr.  Satterlee  soon  impressed  the  whole  commu- 
nity with  the  belief  that  his  wThole  heart  was  in  his 
work ;  that  he  had  really  attained  to  that  Christian 
eminence  where  it  was  'none  for  self  and  all  for 
Thee.'  He  was  a  stranger  to  envy.  He  worked  for 
the  good  of  others,  absolutely  indifferent  whether 
credit  was  given  to  him  for  what  was  accomplished. 
After  his  death  a  good  Presbyterian  remarked,  'Mr. 
Satterlee  was  one  of  the  most  catholic-spirited  men  I 
ever  met,'  and  a  Baptist  minister  said,  'I  never  knew 
a  man  who  was  more  nearly  the  perfect  Christian.' 

"He  found  the  ladies  of  the  congregation  organ- 
ized into  a  Women's  Guild,  with  committees  charged 
with  separate  departments  of  church  work,  desig- 
nated as  Visiting  Chapter,  Chancel  Chapter,  Church- 
yard Chapter,  Industrial  Chapter,  Beneficial  Chap- 
ter, and  Church  Chapter.  There  was  also  an  active 
branch  of  the  Women's  Auxiliary  and  an  organiza- 
tion of  young  ladies  called  Daughters  of  the  Holy 
Cross.  All  these  were  continued  by  Mr.  Satterlee. 
A  branch  of  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew  had 
been  previously  organized.  This  he  revitalized  and 
enlarged.  He  also  organized  into  groups,  the  'Men 
of  Trinity,'  the  'Boys  of  Trinity,'  and  the  'Junior 


i34  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

Boys  of  Trinity,'  and  established  for  the  girls  the 
'Junior  Auxiliary.' 

"Under  his  ministrations,  congregation  and 
Sunday-school  grew  in  size.  He  was  universally 
esteemed.  As  a  preacher  he  would  not  be  called  elo- 
quent, but  earnest,  sensible  and  instructive,  with  an 
improvement  manifest  every  year.  His  life  was  a 
sermon.  I  have  never  heard  of  one  single  act  or 
utterance  of  Mr.  Satterlee  criticised  as  being  incon- 
sistent with  his  Christian  profession.  He  truly  lived 
what  he  preached." 

As  may  be  gathered  from  the  foregoing,  Satterlee 
found  Trinity  Church  well  organized.  He  had  not, 
therefore,  to  create  his  parish  machinery  as  in  Mor- 
ganton.  but  simply  to  utilize  what  he  found  ready  at 
hand  and  infuse  the  workers  with  a  measure  of  his 
own  spirit.  It  does  not  appear  that  he  met  with  any 
open  opposition  to  his  plans  from  any  quarter. 
Doubtless  the  greatest  difficulty  he  had  to  contend 
with  was  simply  the  vis  inertiae  pertaining  to  a  con- 
servative and  highly  respectable  congregation.  As 
one  of  its  members  said,  "Before  Mr.  Satterlee  came, 
Trinity  was  anything  but  a  working  parish."  The 
same  person,  in  speaking  of  the  obstacles  which  Sat- 
terlee found  in  his  work,  recalled  a  remark  of  his  to 
the  effect  that  the  trouble  with  Trinity  congregation 
was  "its  confounded  respectability."  Satterlee  could 
bear  nothing  like  a  patronizing  attitude  on  the  part  of 
one  person  towards  another,  and  his  contempt  for 
what  he  termed  "respectable  aloofness"  was  supreme. 


COLUMBIA.  135 

While  extremely  sensitive  to  any  evidence  of  indiffer- 
ence or  dislike  exhibited  towards  himself,  he  never 
permitted  such  a  feeling  to  dominate  him.  Rather, 
he  exerted  himself  doubly  to  win  over  his  critics.  An 
intimate  friend  recalls  his  saying  in  such  a  case,  "I 
think  So-and-So  is  rather  distant  towards  me  and 
doesn't  like  me  much ;  I  must  be  careful  to  cultivate 
him." 

In  regard  to  his  work  as  an  organizer  and  pastor, 
one  of  his  vestrymen  writes  thus : 

"A  feature  in  Mr.  Satterlee's  ministry  was  that 
disappointment  in  results  never  seemed  to  discourage 
him.  If  he  thought  a  work  was  needed  he  tried  to 
do  it.  If  others  failed  to  appreciate  it,  he  neverthe- 
less went  on,  and  in  many  things  accomplished  what 
he  wanted,  while  others  predicted  failure,  and  only  a 
few  sustained  him.  As  it  grew  upon  our  people  that 
he  was  working  wholly  for  the  good  of  others,  and 
that  good  was  done,  he  found  himself  sustained  and 
encouraged  by  large  numbers. 

"His  ministrations  were  not  only  to  groups  and 
organized  bodies, — he  was  untiring  in  his  devotion 
to  individuals.  He  visited  regularly  all  of  his  flock, 
and  was  especially  attentive  to  the  sick  and  sorrow- 
ing. Once  while  at  a  florist's  purchasing  flowers  for 
a  poor  woman  (which  he  frequently  did)  some  one 
present  remarked  that  he  had  better  buy  food  for  her. 
The  florist  replied,  '1  know  that  he  has  already  done 
that.' 

"After  Mr.  Satterlee's  death  his  best  friends  were 


i36  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

surprised  to  hear  of  how  much  he  had  done  for  those 
who  suffered  and  were  sorrowful  and  they  wondered 
how  he  had  ever  learned  anything  about  some  of 
these  people.  I  have  often  told  Mr.  Satterlee  of 
cases  of  sickness  just  reported  to  me.  His  reply 
almost  always  was,  'Oh,  yes,  I  have  been  there.' 

"In  all  of  the  organizations  of  the  parish  he  took  a 
lively  interest,  attending  meetings,  encouraging  and 
advising.  He  tried  to  be  in  closest  touch  with  the 
boys  and  young  men  of  the  parish,  and  keep  them 
even  in  their  play  mindful  of  their  Christian  obliga- 
tions. They  were  all  warmly  attached  to  him,  and 
his  influence  was  manifest  in  the  better  lives  of  many 
of  them." 

As  revealing  the  wideness  of  his  personal  minis- 
trations, the  fact  may  be  mentioned  that  he  estab- 
lished relations  with  the  colony  of  Greek  Christians 
settled  in  Columbia,  and  that  the  children  were 
brought  to  Trinity  Church  to  receive  baptism. 

One  of  the  "Boys  of  Trinity"  furnishes  an  account 
of  the  Club  which  the  rector  formed,  with  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  annual  outing: 

"Soon  after  Mr.  Satterlee's  arrival  in  Columbia  he 
organized  the  boys  of  his  parish  into  a  club  called  the 
'Boys  of  Trinity.'  In  this  society  there  were  relig- 
ious as  well  as  social  features. 

"Meetings  were  held  every  Friday  night.  Mr. 
Satterlee,  as  chaplain,  always  opened  the  meeting 
with  prayer,  after  which  came  the  regular  routine 
business  of  the  society.     We  were  always  glad  when 


COLUMBIA.  137 

our  rector  was  able  to  give  us  little  talks.  He  spoke 
to  us  not  as  a  preacher  but  as  our  friend  and  comrade. 

"Through  the  rector's  help  and  assistance  the 
'Boys  of  Trinity'  were  able  to  have  an  annual  outing. 
While  in  camp  we  dressed  in  our  old  clothes.  It  was 
a  pleasing  sight  indeed  to  see  the  rector  dressed  in  a 
brown  shirt  and  overalls,  joking  and  laughing  with 
the  boys.  He  took  part  in  all  our  sports  and  was  lit- 
erally 'one  of  the  boys.' 

"When  the  choir  boys  and  'Boys  of  Trinity'  first 
went  to  'Camp  Satterlee'  they  were  asked  by  Mr. 
Satterlee  to  take  their  prayer  books  and  hymnals 
with  them.  This  they  did  because  they  wanted  to 
please  their  rector,  though  they  did  not  think  they 
would  have  much  use  for  them, — but  it  proved  other- 
wise. The  country  people  would  come  to  camp  at 
prayer  time,  which  was  also  breakfast  and  supper 
time,  and  at  first  we  thought  they  came  for  some- 
thing to  eat,  but  they  wanted  to  hear  Mr.  Satterlee 
pray  and  the  boys  sing  familiar  hymns. 

"Mr.  Satterlee  was  always  straightforward  in  his 
dealings  with  the  boys.  He  was  never  partial.  He 
was  always  kind  and  considerate  and  slow  to  lose  his 
temper.  He  certainly  was  an  ideal  leader  of  boys. 
He  always  had  the  nicest  way  of  getting  one  to  obey 
him.  He  would  never  command,  only  talk  kindly, 
and  we  all  soon  saw  how  just  he  really  was.  Mr. 
Satterlee  was  a  good  man,  and  they  loved  him  for  it."' 

One  who  was  intimately  associated  with  Satterlee 
in   the   active   work   of   the  parish,   whose  position 


i33  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

afforded  opportunity  for  knowing  much  of  the  quiet 
work  he  did  among  young-  men,  writes  as  follows: 

"Since  the  news  of  Mr.  Satterlee's  death  reached 
me  I  have  recalled  daily  between  smiles  and  tears, 
many  incidents  of  my  association  with  him,  and  it 
seemed  it  would  he  an  easy  matter  to  give  you  such 
material  as  you  desired.  But  when  I  came  to  analyze 
the  incidents  which  had  most  impressed  upon  me  Mr. 
Satterlee's  unusual  characteristics.  I  found  they  were 
so  closely  connected  with  the  private  affairs  of  other 
people  still  living,  that  they  were  not  available  for 
your  purpose. 

"1  saw  his  marvellous  tact  exercised  so  many  times 
in  solving  difficult  choir  problems  and  in  bringing 
together  warring  factions,  and  yet  the  parties  con- 
cerned never  realized  how  dexterously  they  were 
handled,  and  to  recall  them  now  would  he  to  frustrate 
Mr.  Satterlee's  intentions.  I  also  know  of  his  deal- 
ings with  several  young  men  in  whom  he  was  inter- 
ested, and  my  information  came  from  the  young  men 
themselves,  who,  of  course,  told  it  to  me  in  confi- 
dence. One  case  I  remember  especially  well  of  a 
young  man  who  had  been  very  dissipated  but  was 
trying  to  reform.  Mr.  Satterlee  got  him  into  the 
choir,  and  took  pains  to  make  friends  with  him. 
Christmas  eve  I  heard  that  this  young  man  was 
preparing  to  'celebrate'  with  his  friends  and  I 
went  to  the  rectory  to  impart  the  news  to  Mr. 
Satterlee,  who.  of  course,  went  at  once  in  search 
of    his    protege.      A    few    days     after     the     young 


COLUMBIA.  139 

man  remarked  to  me,  'I  tell  you  Mr.  Satterlee 
is  an  awful  good  fellow.'  I  agreed  with  him, 
and  he  went  on  to  say,  'You  know  he  came  to 
see  me  Christmas  eve.  I  was  going  down  the  street 
when  I  met  him  and  he  said  he  was  just  going  to  my 
rooms  to  wish  me  a  'Merry  Christmas,'  so  I  went  back 
with  him,  and  we  sat  and  talked  about  books  and 
dogs  and  hunting  until  eleven  o'clock.  Then  he  pre- 
scribed for  my  cold,  and  advised  me  to  go  to  bed.'  I 
inquired  if  he  took  Mr.  Satterlee's  advice.  'Yes,  I 
did,'  he  replied.  'I  knew  he  hunted  me  up  because  he 
thought  I  needed  a  guardian,  though  he  never 
preached  a  bit  to  me, — and  I  thought,  by  Jove,  if  he 
could  give  up  Chrismas  eve  at  home  to  keep  me 
straight,  the  best  I  could  do  was  to  keep  straight.' 

"If  those  of  us  who  were  so  fortunate  as  to  come 
within  range  of  his  influence  could  but  tell  what  he 
had  done  for  each  of  us  personally,  what  a  great 
memorial  his  would  be.  God  was  so  good  as  to  give 
me  the  benefit  of  Mr.  Satterlee's  comfort  and  counsel 
at  a  time  of  great  trouble  and  sorrow,  and  the  help  he 
gave  me  then  has  made  life  a  different  thing  for  me." 

During  Satterlee's  rectorship  he  started  a  fund  for 
the  erection  of  a  parish  house  adjoining  the  church. 
It  was  his  idea  that  this  building  should  constitute  a 
memorial  to  departed  communicants  of  Trinity 
Church.  One  member  of  the  parish  made  an  offering 
of  $1,000,  and  others  gave  liberally.  At  the  time  of 
his  death  several  thousand  dollars  had  been  collected 
through  his  exertions,  and  it  is  now  proposed  to  push 


i4o  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

the  work  vigorously  and  make  the  house  in  a  special 
sense  a  memorial  to  the  late  rector. 

One  who,  perhaps,  was  closer  to  Satterlee  than  any 
layman,  having  been  intimately  associated  with  him 
for  eight  years,  both  in  Morganton  and  also  after- 
wards in  Columbia,  gives  some  interesting  personal 
reminiscences : 

"We  used  in  summer  to  spend  evenings  together 
smoking  on  the  veranda,  and  T  remember  upon  one 
occasion  his  bringing  out  a  box  of  'plantations'  sent 
him  by  his  father,  remarking  that  they  were  such  as 
his  father  kept  for  his  own  use,  though  he  always  had 
'Henry  Clays'  for  special  occasions  when  he  enter- 
tained men  of  distinction.  I  remarked  that  I  was 
somewhat  surprised  that  Bishop  Satterlee  smoked  at 
all,  to  which  he  replied,  'Certainly  he  does;  all  the 
good  fellows  smoke.' 

"It  was  a  favorite  tenet  of  his  that  sermons  should 
always  be  prepared  by  Thursday  night,  so  that  any- 
thing that  might  happen  later  in  the  week  would  not 
cause  a  preacher  to  go  before  his  congregation  unpre- 
pared. T  think  he  followed  this  rule  almost  invaria- 
bly, doing  most  of  his  work  between  Tuesday  and 
Thursday  night.  On  Mondays,  he  did  the  lighter 
part  of  his  parochial  work  and  called  it  resting.  This 
was  the  day  when  you  could  see  him  on  the  street  and 
stepping  into  places  of  business  for  the  smile  and 
handshake  that  were  always  welcomed  even  by  the 
busiest;  and  often  with  an  invitation  to  'Come  around 
for  tea  and  a  smoke  this  evening.' 


COLUMBIA.  141 

"He  was,  as  you  know,  a  great  lover  of  good 
church  music,  and  a  very  good  choir-master.  In 
Morganton  he  conducted  all  rehearsals,  with  the 
exception  of  one  period  of  six  months  during  which 
he  had  a  trained  musician  employed ;  and  his  was  the 
only  bass  voice  we  had  at  any  time. 

"When  he  had  worked  very  hard,  and  we  had  a 
fine  service,  as  we  usually  had  on  all  feast  days  and 
special  occasions,  he  would  have  what  he  called  a 
'blue  Monday'  following,  which  I  can  see  now  was 
simply  the  result  of  nature's  protest  against  over- 
work, though  he  never  complained  of  physical  dis- 
comfort, and  would  rarely  acknowledge  that  he  was 
at  all  out  of  condition. 

"If  he  was  not  what  is  popularly  called  an  orator,  it 
is  because  he  didn't  consider  it  worth  while  to  be. 
His  sermons  were  strong,  scholarly  and  effective,  and 
his  growth  as  a  preacher  during  the  eight  years  that 
I  knew  him  was  remarkable.  He  didn't  aspire  to  a 
reputation  as  an  orator,  and  didn't  want  to  be  known 
as  a  'walking  encyclopedia.' 

"He  remarked  to  me  once,  that  his  father  had  told 
him  that  there  were  certain  points  in  which  other 
young  men  of  his  Class  surpassed  him,  but  that  his 
theological  perspective  was  good;  and  this  seemed  to 
please  him  very  much. 

"All  through  life  it  was  with  him  a  question  of 
true  perspective,  and  this  is  what  saved  him  from  the 
partisanship  and  susceptibility  to  adulation  that  have 
often    impaired    the   usefulness   of   many   able    men. 


i42  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

That  remark  of  his  about  true  perspective,  though 
not  intended  as  such,  was  a  much  needed  sermon 
to  me. 

"When  he  began  services  in  the  mill  district  in 
Columbia  it  was  under  a  simple  shed  near  the  site  of 
the  present  chapel,  and  there  is  one  incident  that 
shows  strongly  his  talent  for  turning  opposition  to 
help.  Bishop  Capers  was  to  hold  the  service,  one 
Sunday  afternoon,  Trinity  choir  furnishing  the 
music;  and  Mr.  Satterlee  was  out  'drumming'  for  a 
congregation.  He  found  some  men  seated  at  the  end 
of  a  railway  bridge  near  by,  and,  to  strengthen  his 
invitation  to  them,  added  'The  Bishop  of  South  Caro- 
lina, a  great  man,  is  going  to  preach.'  One  of  the 
men  said  rather  sullenly,  'What  I  want  to  hear  is  a 
good  man,  it  don't  make  any  difference  to  me  about 
Bishops — one  good  man  is  as  good  as  another.' 
Seizing  the  opportunity,  Mr.  Satterlee  won  them  all 
by  saying,  That's  the  right  spirit,  and  the  man  we 
are  going  to  hear  is  a  good  man,  just  the  kind  of  man 
you  want.  Everyone  who  knows  the  Bishop  knows 
that  he  is  first  of  all  and  above  all  a  good  man.' 

"He  would  join  in  a  very  hearty  laugh  at  his  own 
expense,  and  when,  through  haste  or  nervousness,  he 
would  announce  at  choir  meeting  that  we  would  sing 
'eighty-five  verses  of  the  fifth  hymn,'  the  mirth  that 
followed  was  sufficient  stimulus  to  an  extra  hour  of 
hard  work  if  he  wanted  it  from  us. 

"At  one  Easter  celebration  at  the  Church  of  the 
Good  Shepherd  in  Columbia,  he  undertook  to  cite  the 


COLUMBIA.  143 

story  of  Jonah  to  the  children,  with  the  intention  of 
bringing  in  Christ's  three  days  in  the  tomb  as  the 
antitype  of  Jonah's  three  days  in  the  belly  of  the 
whale.  His  tongue  became  tangled,  and  he  used 
every  possible  transposition  of  the  syllables  in  the 
words  'belly  of  the  whale.'  Finally  he  stopped, 
laughed  in  spite  of  himself,  and  said  with  comic  seri- 
ousness, 'Well,  children,  you  know  what  I  mean; 
now  don't  go  home  and  tell  this.' 

"Once,  in  Morganton,  I  heard  a  gentleman,  not  of 
Mr.  Satterlee's  congregation,  say :  'I  just  left  the 
happiest  man  I've  seen  in  a  long  time ;  old  man  H — , 
the  blacksmith,  got  a  letter  to-day  from  Mr.  Satterlee 
who  is  in  Switzerland,  and  he's  the  proudest  man 
you  ever  saw.'  (By  some  people  in  this  section,  the 
word  'proud'  is  used  as  synonymous  with  either 
'happy'  or  'grateful.'  I  don't  know  if  this  is  true  in 
the  North.) 

"You  can  see  from  the  incident  just  given  how  he 
remembered  each  individual  in  his  congregation,  no 
matter  what  his  position  in  life,  and  always  took  the 
trouble  to  show  that  he  remembered. 

"When  there  was  quite  an  epidemic  of  smallpox 
near  Morganton,  he  came  to  my  father's  office  in 
compliance  with  the  compulsory  vaccination  ordi- 
nance, and  while  he  was  being  vaccinated,  my  father, 
who  was  Superintendent  of  the  Board  of  Health,  said 
jokingly,  'I  must  do  this  well,  for  if  things  get  bad  at 
the  smallpox  camp  I  may  want  to  take  you  there 
with  me.'     Without  hesitation  Mr.   Satterlee  spoke 


i44  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

up  very  earnestly  and  said,  'Do  you  really  mean  it, 
Doctor?    I'll  go  if  you  want  me.' 

"I  know  of  one  case  where  he  traveled  over  a  thou- 
sand miles  and  spent  about  three  hundred  dollars 
from  his  own  pocket,  in  order  to  help  a  young  man 
do  what  he  considered  the  honorable  thing,  and  save 
the  name  of  a  young  girl  who  could  be  saved  only  in 
one  way.  This  was  done  against  violent  opposition 
on  the  part  of  the  young  man's  family,  but  the  man 
himself  was  anxious  to  make  amends,  and  the  wis- 
dom of  Mr.  Satterlee's  course  is  evident  from  the 
subsequent  life  of  the  couple,  despite  the  adverse 
criticism  at  the  time. 

"I  remember  that  Spencer's  'Synthetic  Philosophy' 
occupied  a  prominent  place  in  his  library,  and  that  he 
was  very  fond  of  biographies,  taking  special  interest 
in  J.  Wings  'Life  of  Washington.'  While  in  Europe 
during  the  summer  of  '96,  he  and  his  sister  made  a 
study  of  Bryce's  'American  Commonwealth,'  a  book 
which  most  people  would  hardly  consider  best 
adapted  to  vacations. 

"At  one  time  he  entertained  the  idea  of  writing  a 
history  of  the  origin,  or  rather  descent,  of  the  class  of 
North  Carolinians  known  as  the  South  Mountaineers, 
but  I  do  not  think  he  ever  found  time  to  undertake 
the  work. 

"One  of  his  methods  of  deciding  between  two 
courses  of  action  was  to  take  the  pros  and  cons  of 
each  in  parallel  columns  and  strike  a  balance;  but  I'm 


COLUMBIA.  145 

not  sure  that  he  adopted  Spencer's  method  of  giving 
numerical  values  to  the  items. 

"He  and  T  used  often  to  refer  to  the  existence  of 
some  point  of  contact,  some  ground  in  common,  be- 
tween the  best  man  and  the  worst ;  and  sometimes  in 
a  half-cynical  humor  I  would  sum  it  up  in  a  detached 
quotation  from  Kipling,  'The  best  is  like  the  worst/ 
Cynicism  formed  no  part  of  his  constitution,  so  he 
would  get  back  at  me  by  bringing  up  the  subject  in 
company  with  a  lot  of  dignified  people,  and  pointing 
to  me  and  saying  jokingly,  'This  fellow  believes  the 
best  are  just  like  the  worst,  anyway.'  ' 


CHAPTER    VI. 

AMONG  THE  MILL  HANDS. 

It  was  stated  in  the  preceding  chapter  that  one  of 
the  main  reasons  leading  Satterlee  to  accept  the  call 
to  Columbia  was  his  appreciation  of  the  fact  that  a 
great  missionary  work  awaited  him  among  the  mill 
workers  living  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city.  During 
the  past  twenty  years  there  had  been  growing  up  in 
Columbia  important  cotton  manufacturing  interests, 
which  had  brought  to  the  city  from  the  surrounding 
country  districts  a  large  and  increasing  population. 
When  Satterlee  went  to  Columbia,  it  is  estimated 
that  over  ten  thousand  persons  were  employed  in  the 
various  mills  established  there.  These  workers  were 
mainly  recruited  from  the  "sand  hill"  districts  of 
South  Carolina,  and  comprised  people  who  had  here- 
tofore made  a  precarious  living  as  small  farmers. 
Dwelling  for  the  most  part  in  isolated  communities, 
possessing  little  or  none  of  the  advantages  of  educa- 
tion, and  sunk  in  the  lowest  depths  of  poverty,  these 
"poor  whites"  or  "crackers"  eagerly  embraced  the 
opportunity  offered  them  of  bettering  their  condition 
which  the  establishment  of  the  cotton  mill  industry 
presented.     Whole  families,  including  children,  came 

146 


THE  MILL  HANDS.  M7 

to  Columbia  and  found  employment  in  the  mills. 
Unaccustomed  heretofore  to  having  any  money,  the 
united  wages  which  the  family  as  a  whole  was  able  to 
earn  represented  in  their  eyes  a  sum  almost  fabulous. 
As  much  of  the  work  was  of  such  a  character  that  it 
could  easily  be  performed  by  children  of  tender  years, 
such  constituted  a  percentage  of  the  workers.  Prior 
to  1903,  children  under  ten  years  of  age  were  freely 
permitted  to  enter  the  mills;  since  that  time  the  law 
has  prohibited  the  employment  of  those  under  twelve. 
In  a  pamphlet  which  Satterlee  published  soliciting 
aid  for  his  work  among  the  mill  people,  he  strongly 
condemns  this  evil,  and  gives  the  facts  as  to  the  con- 
ditions under  which  the  work  is  done : 

"The  blame  for  this  sacrifice  of  children's  health 
and  schooling  should  be  placed  where  it  belongs. 
Many  of  the  mill  owners  would  co-operate  willingly 
to  compel  children  of  tender  years  to  go  to  school.  A 
large  number  of  the  mill  owners  and  managers  were 
in  favor  of  the  Child  Labor  bill,  which  was  recently 
passed  by  the  General  Assembly  in  this  State,  for- 
bidding children  under  ten  years  of  age  to  work  in 
the  mills  this  year,  next  year  prohibiting  those  under 
eleven  to  work,  and  the  year  following  those  under 
twelve,  unless  there  is  a  widowed  mother  to  be  sup- 
ported, or  some  other  equally  urgent  cause.  The 
working  hours  are  long.  The  State  allows  sixty-six 
hours  a  week,  and  the  majority  of  employees  prefer 
to  work  twelve  hours  a  day  for  five  days  in  the  week, 
with  a  half  holiday  on  Saturday.     Work  commences 


148  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

at  6  a.  m.  and  ends  at  6.45  p.  M.,  with  three-quarters 
of  an  hour  intermission  at  noon.  But  almost  ninety 
per  cent,  of  the  entire  pay  roll  of  any  of  the  factories 
in  this  State  is  figured  upon  a  piece  basis,  and  the 
other  ten  per  cent,  is  paid  by  the  day.  So  far  as  the 
work  and  the  pay  are  concerned,  it  matters  little  to 
the  employer  whether  the  work  is  done  by  a  man  or 
by  a  child,  so  long  as  it  is  well  done.  The  expense  is 
the  same.  Children  are  desired  for  other  reasons,  not 
primarily  for  the  reason  of  economy. 

"It  is  by  no  means  rare  for  a  family  to  make  $800 
or  $1,000  a  year.  That  is  one  reason  why  the  mill 
owner  has  been  inclined  to  employ  the  children,  as 
the  father  and  mother  prefer  to  go  where  the  family 
can  make  the  largest  wages,  using  the  whole  family ; 
the  older  children  often  make  more  money  than  the 
parents.  Sometimes  the  father  does  not  work  at  all. 
But  such  a  condition  of  affairs  is  the  exception  rather 
than  the  rule." 

The  influx  of  this  large  population  within  a  few 
years  rendered  the  task  of  adequately  ministering  to 
their  spiritual  needs  a  tremendous  one,  and  quite 
beyond  the  powers  of  the  Christian  people  of  Colum- 
bia. The  mill  workers  themselves,  if  not  unmindful 
of  their  religious  interests,  were  yet  wholly  lacking  in 
the  power  of  initiative  and  capacity  for  caring  for 
themselves  in  this  regard.  For  a  long  time  little  was 
accomplished  in  the  way  of  providing  regular  relig- 
ious services.  Vagrant  preachers,  it  is  true,  occa- 
sionally made  their  way  into  the  mill  districts,  fol- 


THE  MILL  HANDS.  U9 

lowing  the  people  from  their  former  homes,  but  their 
crass  ignorance  and  crude  conceptions  of  Christianity 
made  their  ministrations  of  small  avail  in  awakening 
the  dormant  religious  life  and  raising  the  moral  tone 
of  tha  community.  The  mill  owners  themselves  ulti- 
mately saw  the  necessity  of  doing  something  for  the 
moral  uplifting  of  their  employees,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1 90 1  three  of  the  largest  companies  offered  to 
give  a  plot  of  ground  and  $2,500  towards  the  erection 
of  a  church  building  to  cost  not  less  than  $5,000,  to 
any  Christian  body  in  Columbia  which  would  build 
a  church  and  supply  regular  Sunday  services.  Here 
was  Satterlee's  opportunity.  Though  he  had  just 
come  to  Columbia  and  had  barely  established  himself 
in  the  rectorship,  he  brought  the  matter  before  his 
congregation  and  begged  them  to  accept  the  offer  of 
the  mill  owners.  Although  the  parish  heretofore  had 
been  content  to  consider  only  its  own  needs,  spend- 
ing, as  the  wife  of  one  of  the  vestrymen  said,  "most 
of  its  thought,  most  of  its  efforts,  and  most  of  its 
money  upon  itself,"  such  was  the  contagion  of  Sat- 
terlee's enthusiasm  that  the  vestry  readily  agreed  to 
raise  $2,000  for  the  purpose,  Satterlee  himself  prom- 
ising to  provide  the  balance.  As  soon  as  the  matter 
had  been  settled,  Satterlee  took  possession  of  the 
field,  and,  pending  the  erection  of  the  church,  had  a 
wooden  shed  put  up  where  open  air  services  were 
conducted  by  him  during  the  summer  and  autumn  of 
1 90 1.  In  speaking  of  this  early  phase  of  the  work 
Satterlee  says  in  his  pamphlet : 


i5o  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

"By  beginning  the  services  in  this  simple  way, 
something  was  also  done,  I  believe,  to  impress  upon 
the  people  for  whom  they  were  intended  the  fact  that, 
in  spite  of  erroneous  but  frequently  widespread  im- 
pressions, the  Episcopal  Church  does  not  stand  for 
exclusiveness,  or  for  modes  of  worship  unsuited  to 
the  simplest  people." 

The  people  at  first  were  highly  suspicious  of  the 
new  enterprise.  Few  or  none  of  them  knew  anything 
of  the  Episcopal  Church,  the  ideas  they  had  concern- 
ing it  bordering  upon  the  ludicrous.  Still,  they 
flocked  to  the  services  attracted  by  their  curiosity  and 
the  novelty  of  the  vestments  worn  by  the  clergyman 
and  choristers.  The  same  methods  which  had  won 
success  for  Satterlee's  work  among  the  mountaineers 
of  North  Carolina  proved,  however,  equally  effectual 
in  winning  the  good  will  of  the  mill  operatives,  and 
it  was  not  long  before  suspicion  was  completely  dis- 
armed and  a  permanent  and  loyal  congregation  estab- 
lished. As  in  the  case  of  his  mission  work  at  Mor- 
ganton,  Satterlee  felt  that  little  lasting  good  could  be 
effected  without  having  workers  on  the  spot  who 
could  enter  into  the  daily  life  of  the  people  and  min- 
ister as  well  to  their  material  as  to  their  spiritual 
welfare.  Accordingly,  with  his  usual  resourceful- 
ness, he  managed  to  raise  the  money  among  his 
friends  in  the  North  to  pay  the  salary  of  a  deacon- 
ness,  who  arrived  in  October  of  that  year.  A  house 
was  set  apart  by  the  mill  owners  for  her  occupancy, 


THE  MILL  HANDS.  *S* 

which  was  used  also  for  the  meetings  of  the  societies 
and  guilds  which  Satterlee  organized. 

The  chapel,  a  commodious  brick  building  holding 
400  people,  was  completed  in  November,  1901,  at  a 
cost  of  $5,700,  the  title  being  vested  in  Trinity 
Church,  and  it  was  called  Trinity  Chapel.  Mean- 
while a  curate  ministering  exclusively  to  the  wants  of 
the  mill  congregation  was  secured  and  active  mis- 
sionary work  begun. 

The  problem  of  how  best  to  meet  the  peculiar 
needs  of  the  mill  congregation  occupied  much  of 
Satterlee's  thoughts.  In  the  pamphlet  previously 
referred  to,  he  tells  how  the  work  was  conducted  and 
the  results  which  followed : 

"The  question  of  the  most  suitable  form  of  service 
to  introduce  now  came  up  for  decision.  It  is  my 
experience  that  in  all  mission  work  of  this  kind,  the 
hope  of  the  future  centres  largely  in  the  children. 
The  older  people  have  already  formed  their  opinions, 
and  are  established  in  their  views.  In  order  to  be 
reached  at  all,  the  adults  must  be  reached  through 
the  children.  So  it  was  deemed  best  to  have  two  ses- 
sions of  the  Sunday-school,  morning  and  afternoon; 
to  have  an  educational  and  devotional  service  in  the 
morning,  with  Morning  Prayer,  churchly  hymns,  and 
a  talk  on  some  simple  phase  of  Church  doctrine  or 
worship.  For  use,  at  night,  we  arranged  a  leaflet 
which  had  the  elements  of  our  Church  service,  but 
simplified ;  old  familiar  hymns  were  sung,  and  a 
'gospel  sermon'  was  preached. 


152  A  FISHER  OK  MEN. 

'The  effect  of  these  services  has  been  marked. 
True,  there  is  seldom  a  crowd  in  the  chapel,  but  we 
have  a  very  fair  proportion  of  the  Sunday  scholars  in 
the  community,  as  also  a  gratifying-  number  of  the 
adult  worshippers.  The  Methodists  and  the  Baptists 
have  larger  congregations,  but  it  must  be  remembered 
that  many  of  those  who  attend  the  services  and  par- 
take of  the  Holy  Communion  in  Trinity  Chapel  had 
never  even  heard  of  the  Episcopal  Church  two  years 
ago.  Our  numbers  are  on  the  increase  year  by  year, 
although  we  endeavor  to  be  very  careful  in  the  prep- 
aration of  our  catechumens.  There  are  hundreds  and 
we  fear  thousands  who  never  attend  a  church  of  any 
name,  so  there  is  a  great  work  ahead. 

"In  this  way  the  mission  was  continued  through 
the  winter  and  spring  of  1902.  The  minister  in 
charge,  and  the  deaconess,  regularly  visited  the  fami- 
lies in  the  mill  homes.  When  any  sickness  or  death 
occurred,  the  services  of  our  workers  were  in  constant 
demand,  as  the  people  realized  that  the  rector,  the 
vicar  and  the  deaconess  were  at  their  service  when- 
ever help  of  any  kind  could  be  rendered.  Direct  and 
indirect  good  has  resulted  from  these  visits.  There 
are  several  persons  alive  and  in  good  health  to-day, 
who,  ignorant  of  the  ways  and  means  of  nursing, 
would  probably  have  succumbed  to  premature  death 
had  it  not  been  for  certain  simple  precautions  shown 
them  in  their  sick  rooms." 

In  no  respect  were  the  results  of  this  line  of  work 


THE  MILL  HANDS.  *53 

more  productive  of  good  than  in  the  case  of  the 
babies.  By  the  establishment  of  a  Day  Nursery, 
where  mothers  were  encouraged  to  place  their  infants 
during  the  time  they  themselves  were  employed  in  the 
mills,  the  sickness  and  mortality  among  this  class 
were  greatly  reduced.  It  had  been  the  custom  in 
many  instances  for  the  mothers  to  take  their  babies 
with  them  to  the  mills,  where  they  were  deposited  in 
a  convenient  place  and  then  left  to  their  own  devices. 
In  order  to  keep  them  quiet,  it  was  not  unusual  to 
dose  them  with  paregoric.  Even  where  this  was  not 
the  case,  the  lack  of  proper  food  and  attention,  the 
foul  air,  and  loud  whir  of  the  machinery,  were 
causes  distinctly  affecting  the  babies'  health. 

The  institutional  work  which  Satterlee  inaugurated 
soon  outgrew  the  cramped  quarters  of  the  little  home 
provided  for  the  deaconess,  and  the  conviction  forced 
itself  upon  his  mind  that  a  building  especially  adapted 
to  the  growing  needs  of  the  work  was  an  urgent 
necessity.  At  least  $5,000  was  required  to  erect  and 
equip  a  proper  building.  During  his  vacation  in  the 
summer  of  1902,  he  devoted  his  time  and  energy  to 
what  he  termed  "the  irksome  task"  of  raising  this 
money.  He  succeeded  in  getting  this  large  sum, 
how  or  from  whom  no  one  but  himself  knew.  All 
that  his  parishioners  in  Columbia  could  say  about  it 
was,  that  "he  got  it  from  friends  at  the  North."  The 
house,  a  pleasant  commodious  building  having  a 
large  assembly  room  and  a  number  of  small  rooms 


i54  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

suitable  tor  class  work  and  the  meeting  of  societies, 
together  with  apartments  for  the  working  staff,  was 
completed  only  a  few  months  before  his  death,  and 
stands  as  a  memorial  to  his  labors. 

Of  the  practical  advantages  which  accrued  to  the 
work  from  the  possession  of  such  a  centre  of  institu- 
tional life,  Satterlee  gives  his  own  estimate: 

"The  mission  house  provides  excellent  quarters  for 
our  organizations.  The  fifty  G.  F.  S.  members  are 
schooled  into  the  duties  of  'friendliness'  in  all  its 
varied  aspects,  and  are  unconsciously  learning  to  be 
good  daughters,  wives  and  mothers,  and,  by  a  little 
care  and  thought  fulness,  to  make  homes  comfortable 
and  happy. 

"At  the  Boys'  Club  there  is  a  short  service,  a  prac- 
tical talk  to  the  boys,  and  afterwards  games  and 
other  amusements.  The  boys  flock  to  us  in  great 
numbers. 

"The  mothers  have  a  weekly  meeting,  and  enjoy 
the  talks  and  suggestions  of  our  women  workers. 
These  gatherings  create  a  bond  of  union  between 
them  all,  meeting  as  they  do  almost  under  the  shelter 
of  the  church,  and  so,  in  a  measure,  a  friendly  feeling 
is  aroused,  and  of  course  this  friendliness  helps  the 
Church,  showing  men,  women  and  children  that  the 
Church  stands  for  real  religion,  and  that  pleasure, 
happiness  and  amusement  have  a  rightful  place  in 
life. 

"In  the  rear  of  the  building  there  is  a  dispensary, 


THE  MILL  HANDS.  »55 

where  six  of  the  best  physicians  in  Columbia  offer 
their  services  twice  a  week  each  to  those  who  come 
with  proper  endorsements.  The  dispensary  is  well 
patronized.  At  the  very  end  of  the  building  (but 
this  is  to  be  a  venture  of  the  future,  when  we  have 
more  money)  there  are  two  rooms  which  we  hope  to 
see  furnished  with  bath  tubs  for  the  use  of  those 
whose  cramped  and  crowded  homes  make  habits  of 
personal  cleanliness  difficult.  The  night  school, 
which  during  the  past  winter  was  conducted  three 
nights  each  week,  was  very  popular  with  the  young 
people.  It  required  the  constant  attention  of  three 
teachers  to  keep  the  thirty  boys  and  girls  well  occu- 
pied and  interested  in  their  work. 

"This  is  our  simple  and  unadorned  story  in  a  nut- 
shell, but  there  is  a  great  deal  more  to  be  accom- 
plished, and  we  have  only  commenced.  There  are 
opportunities  for  work  among  these  10,000  mill  peo- 
ple in  the  suburbs  of  Columbia  which  are  appalling 
in  their  magnitude.  Sometimes  we  shudder  to  think 
what  we  might  be  doing  to  help  these  people  but  have 
not  the  means  to  do.  And  what  is  true  of  Columbia 
is  coming  to  be  true  of  numerous  other  Southern 
cities  and  towns." 

That  Satterlee's  work  for  the  social  and  spiritual 
betterment  of  their  mill  operatives  was  fully  appreci- 
ated by  the  proprietors  is  evident  from  the  following 
communication  sent  to  him  by  one  of  the  officers  of 
the  company : 


156  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

"Columbia,  S.  C,  July  8th,  1903. 
"Rev.  Churchill  Satterlee. 
"My  Dear  Sir:— 

"In  respect  to  the  matters  which  we  had  under 
discussion  when  we  last  met.,  it  affords  me  pleasure 
to  say  that  I,  together  with  others  who  are  interested 
in  the  management  of  the  mills,  feel  ourselves  under 
great  obligations  to  those  denominations  who  have 
built  churches  and  placed  pastors  among  our  people. 
We  appreciate  none  more  highly  than  the  work  which 
has  been  done  by  Trinity  Church,  of  which  you  are 
the  rector.  We  feel  that  the  work  which  has  been 
done  by  you,  both  through  the  medium  of  your 
chapel  and  also  your  Mission  Home,  is  one  of  great 
service  to  our  people,  not  only  from  the  spiritual 
aspect,  but  from  the  social  and  intellectual.  The 
presence  among  these  people  of  the  vicar  of  your 
chapel,  and  also  of  the  worthy  ladies  who  are  in 
charge  of  the  Mission  Home  as  deaconesses,  has 
already  been  felt,  and  we  are  satisfied  that  this  good 
work  will  continue  to  grow.  The  chapel  service,  I 
can  say  from  my  own  personal  experience  as  a  visitor 
there,  is  highly  appreciated  by  the  people,  and  tends 
to  lead  them  forward  to  a  higher  and  more  useful  life. 
The  work  of  the  deaconesses  who  are  in  charge  of  the 
Mission  Home,  while  largely  of  the  same  order,  as  it 
deals  with  the  spiritual  life  of  the  people,  is  more 
largely  felt  in  their  every-day  and  social  life.  The 
tendency  there  is  to  give  this  people  a  new  idea  of 
life  and  of  living,  and  lead  them  up  to  a  much  higher 


THE  MILL  HANDS.  157 

plane  of  social  relation.  The  benefactions  also  which 
have  been  dispensed  from  this  Home  are  of  great 
value  to  this  people,  and  the  charity  work  which  is 
there  being  done  by  many  of  our  most  prominent 
ladies  we  regard  as  a  great  blessing  to  them. 

"In  speaking  on  behalf  of  the  management  of  these 
mills,  I  feel  that  we  cannot  express  the  gratitude  that 
we  owe  to  you  and  those  associated  with  you  because 
of  this  work  which  you  render  our  people  through 
the  instrumentalities  above  referred  to,  and  we  desire 
to  assure  you  that  we  shall  at  all  times  hold  ourselves 
in  readiness  to  co-operate  with  you  in  this  noble  work. 

"With  much  esteem,  I  remain, 

"Yours  very  sincerely, 

"\V.  A.  Clark." 

Satterlee's  work  among  the  mill  operatives,  while, 
perhaps,  it  bulks  bigger  in  the  material  results 
achieved  than  his  missionary  labors  among  the 
mountaineers  of  North  Carolina,  lacks  of  necessity 
the  charm  and  picturesqueness  which  belonged  to  the 
latter.  For  one  thing,  his  duties  as  the  rector  of  a 
large  city  parish,  precluded  the  possibility  of  that 
close  personal  intercourse  with  individuals  which 
characterized  his  Morganton  career.  He  seemed 
sometimes  to  fear  that  his  parishioners  in  the  parish 
church  of  Columbia  would  feel  that  he  was  neglect- 
ing them  if  he  gave  too  much  time  to  the  mill  work. 
That  there  was  no  such  feeling  is  certain,  for  the 
sympathy  and  support  accorded  him  by  the  leading 


158  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

people  of  Trinity  Church  were  amply  manifest.  They 
indeed  had  no  ground  for  any  complaint  that  he  neg- 
lected his  duties  toward  themselves,  though  it  may 
fairly  be  inferred  that  the  extra  burden  entailed  by 
the  charge  of  the  mill  work  made  undue  demands 
upon  his  strength,  and  was  one  of  the  causes  that  laid 
him  open  to  the  attack  of  grippe  which  ultimately 
cost  him  his  life.  For  long  intervals  the  chapel  was 
without  a  curate,  and  as  he  was  unwilling  to  see  the 
services  suspended  he  took  them  himself  in  addition 
to  those  at  the  parish  church.  Often  on  Sundays 
after  celebrating  an  early  Communion  at  the  church, 
he  went  to  the  chapel,  a  distance  of  about  two  miles, 
and  held  another  celebration  there  at  9.30,  returning 
for  the  main  service  at  the  church  at  1 1  o'clock.  Then 
after  evensong  at  5  o'clock  at  the  parish  church,  he 
would  hold  another  service  at  the  chapel  at  7.30 
o'clock,  all  entailing  the  preaching  of  three  sermons, 
besides  attendance  at  the  Sunday-school  and  catechis- 
ing the  children. 

One  of  his  wardens,  in  a  communication  to  the 
writer,  tells  how  he  spent  his  last  Easter  Day : 

"On  Easter  Day  of  1903,  he  had  early  Communion 
at  St.  Luke's  Church  (a  congregation  of  colored 
people)  at  5.30  a.  m.,  at  Trinity  Church  at  7.30,  and 
at  Trinity  Chapel  at  9.  He  then  had  full  morning 
service  in  Trinity  Church  at  11  A.  m.,  Sunday-school 
celebration  at  4  p.  m.,  and  preached  at  Trinity  Chapel 
at  night,  and  after  the  service  had  a  wedding.  We 
all  considered  him  a  very  strong  man  physically." 


THE  MILL  HANDS.  159 

In  Columbia,  Satterlee  continued  the  custom  which 
he  had  started  in  Morganton,  of  bringing  to  the  par- 
ish church  on  all  festival  occasions  the  children 
belonging  to  the  Mission.  By  this  arrangement  he 
fostered  the  sentiment  of  an  identity  of  organic  life 
between  the  two  and  promoted  a  feeling  of  mutual 
good  will.  In  all  his  work,  what  he  especially  aimed 
at  was  to  break  down  the  barrier  of  social  prejudice 
and  to  inculcate  a  spirit  of  mutual  sympathy  and 
helpfulness.  While  he  recognized  the  fact  of  class 
distinction,  he  was  intolerant  of  any  exhibition  of  it 
where  religion  was  concerned.  He  felt  strongly  that 
the  Episcopal  Church  was  popularly  misunderstood, 
that  among  many  of  those  often  designated  as  the 
"plain  people"  there  was  a  vast  misconception  of  the 
Church's  attitude.  As  much  as  in  him  lay  he  strove 
to  combat  this  prejudice  and  to  make  the  poorest  feel 
that  the  Church  was  for  him  and  needed  him.  He 
had  a  large  faith  that  the  Church's  system  was  capa- 
ble of  meeting  the  religious  wants  of  all  classes.  On 
this  point,  taught  by  his  own  experience,  he  writes : 

"The  Church  which  can  reach  the  mountaineers  of 
North  Carolina,  and  the  humble  people  in  our  large 
cities  in  England  and  America  will,  in  extending  to 
the  mill  population  of  the  South  a  helping  hand  in 
the  name  of  our  common  Master,  be  'received  joy- 
fully,' as  the  Church  of  the  Living  God,  and,  in  fact, 
has  been  so  received." 

But,  while  clinging  firmly  to  this  belief,  he  was 
actuated  by  an  intense  desire  for  Christian  unity.   He 


i6o  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

longed  to  see  all  those  who  acknowledged  a  common 
Lord  and  Master  united  in  one  visible  Brotherhood 
of  faith  and  worship.  A  staunch  Churchman,  a  firm 
believer  in  the  Catholic  and  Apostolic  character  of 
the  Church  whose  ministry  he  exercised,  he  had  yet 
that  largeness  of  sympathy,  that  true  wideness  of 
vision,  which,  while  it  does  not  ignore  theological 
and  ecclesiastical  differences,  yet  seeks  to  include  all 
men  and  all  systems  in  the  circle  of  its  helpfulness 
and  love. 

A  clergyman  who  had  unique  opportunities  for 
observing  Satterlee's  work  and  methods,  and  who 
was  admitted  to  his  closest  confidence,  writes  thus 
concerning  his  attitude  towards  Christian  unity : 

"It  seems  to  me  that  there  was  a  central  aspiration 
in  Satterlee's  life,  and  that  his  ministry  shaped  itself 
out  of  this  thought,  as  the  oak  from  the  acorn  grows. 

"That  ruling  idea  was  Christian  unity.  There  are 
many  Low  Churchmen,  who  have  no  consciousness  of 
historic  corporate  or  organic  Christianity,  and  it  is  an 
easy  task  for  these  to  sympathize  with  the  sects. 

"On  the  other  hand  there  are  High  Churchmen, 
who  have  the  strongest  kind  of  convictions  regarding 
Catholic  and  Apostolic  Christianity,  who  have  no 
sympathy  at  all  with  denominational  religious  life. 

"There  is  a  third  class,  who  hold  from  deep  con- 
viction to  the  Catholicity  and  Apostolicity  of  the 
Church,  and  who.  yet.  on  the  other  hand,  have  a  deep 
conviction  that  thev  should  recognize  all  that  is  best, 


THE  MILL  HANDS.  161 

most  scriptural  and  most  spiritual  in  the  life  of  the 
sects. 

"This  is  the  hardest  stand  to  take,  and  yet,  with 
Satterlee,  it  was  not  hard  at  all.  While  he  was,  from 
conviction,  a  consistent  High  Churchman,  neverthe- 
less his  whole  heart  went  out  to  those  in  other  Chris- 
tian bodies,  in  the  most  natural  way.  He  drew  them 
to  him  by  his  deep  fount  of  sympathy. 

"Beneath  all  his  sympathy  he  had  singular  shrewd- 
ness, and  common  sense  enough  not  to  put  himself 
into  positions  where  he  would  compromise  his  stand 
as  a  minister  of  Apostolic  Succession,  and  yet,  some- 
how he  never  made  ministers  of  other  Christian 
bodies  feel  antagonized.  They  saw  that  he  was  try- 
ing to  emphasize  points  of  contact  more  than  points 
of  difference.  They  felt  that  he  recognized  their 
Christian  character  as  those  who  were  living  in  union 
with  Christ. 

"This  same  deep  aspiration  for  unity  took  many 
phases  and  characterized  his  work.  In  the  parish  his 
one  idea  was  to  fill  the  parish  church  with  the  atmos- 
phere of  a  warm  Christian  home,  and  he  accom- 
plished this  result  by  ignoring  parish  parties,  class 
distinctions  and  personal  differences.  Because  he 
ignored  them  the  parishioners  felt  ashamed  of  em- 
phasizing such  distinctions. 

"In  his  mission  work  the  same  idea  took  shape  in 
the  great  yearning  to  make  the  mountaineers  of 
North  Carolina  and  the  mill  operatives  of  Columbia, 
feel  that  the  chapel  to  which  he  drew  them  was  a  real 


i62  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

spiritual  home,  in  which  they  would  all  find  rest  and 
comfort. 

"In  intermingling-  with  denominational  life  he 
would  at  times  attend  the  services  held  by  ministers 
of  other  Christian  bodies,  in  a  modest,  unobtrusive 
way,  and  in  return  they  came  frequently  to  the  church 
of  which  he  was  the  rector,  feeling  that  there  was  a 
warm  welcome  there  for  them  in  the  rector's  heart." 

Another,  who  had  watched  Satterlee's  career 
closely,  and  was  particularly  impressed  with  the 
reality  of  his  personal  influence  over  those  outside  the 
Communion  to  which  he  belonged,  writes  as  follows: 

"No  one  who  knew  what  his  work  was,  both  at 
Morganton  and  Columbia,  can  fail  to  be  struck  by 
the  wonderful  results  of  his  short  ministry  in  creating 
a  spirit  of  fellowship  and  Christian  unity,  not  only  in 
his  own  parish,  but  throughout  the  whole  community. 

"He  seems  to  have  had  a  singular,  a  most  unique 
power  of  attracting  to  himself,  and,  so  bringing 
together,  men  of  all  kinds  of  religious  opinion  and 
belief,  and  in  this  way  he  became  himself,  through 
the  unconscious  influence  of  his  personality  a  centre 
of  unity  among  Christians  of  all  denominations.  This 
was  the  more  remarkable  because  he  was  so  entirely 
free  from  any  spirit  of  compromise  or  laxity  in  his 
own  Church  principles,  which  rested  on  the  strong- 
most  unwavering  convictions, — but  the  power  of 
his  whole-hearted  loyal  devotion  to  the  service  of 
Christ  and  His  Church;  the  pure  unselfishness  of  his 
life  were  so  plainly  manifest  to  all  who  came  in  con- 


THE  MILL  HANDS.  163 

tact  with  him,  that  they  felt  themselves  lifted  up  to  a 
higher  plane,  where  the  overmastering  consciousness 
of  the  real  spiritual  unity  of  all  Christians  in  Christ 
cast  their  lesser  differences  into  the  shade. 

"Might  not  this  one  aspect  of  Churchill  Satterlee's 
life  and  work  he  taken  as  an  illustration  and  a 
prophecy  of  the  way  in  which  Church  Unity  will  at 
last  be  brought  about, — through  the  indirect,  uncon- 
scious influence  of  such  personalities, — themselves 
living  centres  of  spiritual  power,  and  bringing  home 
so  irresistibly  to  the  hearts  of  men  the  truth  of  their 
inward  fellowship  and  oneness  in  Christ  that  outward 
unity  will  become  a  necessary  expression  of  Christian 
life?" 


CHAPTER    VII. 

FINISHING  HIS  COURSE. 

Satterlee's  health  since  his  entrance  upon  the 
work  of  the  ministry  had  upon  the  whole  been  excel- 
lent. He  seemed  to  have  entirely  outgrown  the  heart 
affection  which  had  been  a  serious  matter  during  his 
college  days.  Doubtless  the  good  health  he  subse- 
quently enjoyed  was  due  largely  to  his  residence  in 
the  stimulating  climate  of  the  North  Carolina  moun- 
tains and  to  the  vigorous  outdoor  life  which  he  led 
there.  It  is  possible  that  his  removal  to  the  low-lying 
country  of  western  South  Carolina  may  have  resulted 
in  lowering  his  vitality,  thus  laying  his  system  open 
to  an  attack  of  grippe  which  he  had  in  November, 
1903.  Upon  the  subject  of  Satterlee's  health,  his 
father  sends  the  following  communication: 

"While  he  was  in  college  Churchill  had  a  rheu- 
matic heart.  Our  physician  said,  however,  that  if 
nothing  unforeseen  happened,  and  he  took  reasonable 
care  of  himself,  that  nature  would  accommodate  her- 
self, as  she  always  does,  to  his  physical  condition,  and 
that  he  would  outgrow  this  physical  disadvantage, 
and  that  there  was  no  reason  why  he  should  not  live 
until  he  was  eighty  years  of  age. 

164 


Bishop  Satterle 


THREE   GENERATIONS. 
Churchill   SatterJee  and   Harry   Yates   Satterlee  2nd. 


FINISHING  HIS  COURSE.  165 

"The  physician's  words  were  exactly  fulfilled. 
Churchill  became  so  robust  and  strong  physically, 
that  last  summer  he  went  into  the  ocean,  swam  in  the 
surf,  rode  twenty  miles  on  a  bicycle,  and  took  other 
vigorous  exercise. 

"He  was  so  strong,  that  in  thinking  of  the  future, 
while  I  have  contemplated  my  own  death,  or  Mrs. 
Satterlee's  death,  I  never  dreamed  that  he  would  be 
taken  away.  If  it  had  not  been  for  the  grippe,  which 
weakened  his  heart,  in  an  entirely  different  manner 
from  rheumatism,  I  believe  he  would  have  been  alive 
to-day." 

It  is  not  unlikely  also,  as  suggested  in  the  preced- 
ing chapter,  that  the  extra  work  which  Satterlee 
assumed  in  connection  with  his  mission  to  the  mill 
folk,  made  too  great  demands  upon  his  strength. 
The  deaconess  in  charge,  in  speaking  of  this  matter 
afterwards  said,  that  she  had  often  noticed  when  he 
came  to  the  chapel  to  hold  a  service  on  Sunday  even- 
ing, that  he  exhibited  signs  of  physical  and  nervous 
exhaustion.  When  she  would  remonstrate  with  him 
and  beg  him  to  allow  one  of  his  lay  readers  to  con- 
duct the  services,  he  would  smilingly  respond  that  he 
was  all  right,  and  counsel  her  to  look  after  her  own 
health  and  not  bother  about  him.  While  never  spar- 
ing himself,  Satterlee  was  always  most  considerate  of 
those  who  worked  under  him.  On  one  occasion,  when 
the  deaconess  was  feeling  worn  out  from  her  labors, 
he  insisted  that  she  should  take  three  months'  vaca- 
tion, continuing  her  salary  the  while  and  providing 


1 66  A   FISHER  OF  MEN. 

a  substitute  out  of  his  own  pocket.  When  she 
demurred  to  leaving  her  post  for  so  long  a  time,  he 
wrote  her  a  letter,  saying,  "This  is  not  to  suggest, 
nor  to  advise,  but  to  direct  you  to  go."  His  last 
official  act  was  to  endorse  over  to  her  order  a  check 
which  he  had  received  from  personal  friends  for  the 
purpose  of  providing  a  horse  and  wagon  for  her  use 
in  paying  visits. 

As  showing  the  general  concern  felt  in  the  com- 
munity over  Satterlee's  illness,  the  fact  may  be  men- 
tioned that  a  Roman  Catholic  Sister  came  to  the  rec- 
tory and  offered  her  services  as  voluntary  nurse. 

Satterlee  partially  recovered  from  the  attack  of 
grippe  by  which  he  was  prostrated  in  November,  and 
was  able  to  resume  his  duties  for  a  time,  but  it  was 
soon  apparent  that  his  heart  had  become  weakened. 
In  response  to  the  urgent  wishes  of  the  vestry  that  he 
should  leave  Columbia  and  go  elsewhere  for  a  com- 
plete rest,  he  went  to  Savannah  for  ten  days,  whence 
he  returned  little,  if  any,  better. 

Subsequently,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren, he  went  on  February  9  to  Augusta,  Georgia, 
taking  rooms  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Michel  in  Summer- 
ville,  a  suburb  of  the  city.  While  Satterlee  and  his 
wife  both  realized  that  his  condition  was  serious, 
there  was  no  idea  apparently  on  the  part  of  either 
that  there  was  any  immediate  danger.  It  seemed  to 
be  believed,  that  with  a  complete  rest  he  would  be 
fully  restored  to  health.  Satterlee  himself  never  gave 
any  indication  that  he  deemed  his  end  near,  but  on 


FINISHING  HIS  COURSE.  167 

the  contrary,  was  bright  and  cheerful  to  the  last, 
spending  the  days  playing  with  his  children  and  chat- 
ting with  his  wife.  The  only  indication  which  led 
Mrs.  Satterlee  subsequently  to  think  that  possibly 
her  husband  might  have  had  some  undefined  idea  that 
his  death  was  imminent,  was  a  remark  he  made  to  her 
the  day  before  the  end  came,  "I  have  never  prayed 
before  as  I  have  prayed  to-day." 

On  the  morning  of  February  16,  at  four  o'clock, 
just  before  dawn,  death  came  suddenly  and 
painlessly.  As  one  of  his  eulogists  phrased  it  in  the 
glowing  periods  of  his  Southern  eloquence : 

"When  morn  was  about  to  unbar  her  golden  gates, 
he  passed  away.  The  sunset  of  his  life  was  associ- 
ated with  the  brightness  of  the  rising  sun.  Such  an 
ending  of  a  Christian  career  gives  no  cause  for  vain 
regrets.  It  is  God's  way.  What  is  life  but  a  great 
battlefield,  whereupon  men  are  falling  every  day?  As 
a  Christian  soldier  of  the  Cross,  Churchill  Satterlee 
went  to  a  painless  ending,  crowned  with  the  victor's 
wreath,  fashioned  by  the  angels  of  heaven." 

Satterlee  died  in  the  thirty-sixth  year  of  his  age, 
completing  a  ministry  of  a  trifle  over  ten  years. 

Passing  away  in  the  prime  of  his  young  manhood, 
having  before  him  a  career  promising  a  large  useful- 
ness, growing  every  day,  as  was  apparent  to  all 
observers,  in  intellectual  strength  and  spiritual  grace, 
his  death  yet  seemed  to  have  about  it  an  unwonted 
note  of  triumph.  Those  who  were  present  at  the 
funeral    services    were    deeply    impressed    with    this 


i6S  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

thought,  and  the  many  letters  which  were  subse- 
quently received  by  the  family  breathe  a  similar 
sentiment. 

On  the  news  of  his  death  reaching  Columbia,  a 
hasty  meeting  of  the  vestry  was  held  and  a  deputa- 
tion appointed  to  go  to  Augusta  and  accompany  the 
body  to  that  city.  Meanwhile,  Bishop  Satterlee  had 
been  notified,  and  with  his  wife  and  daughter  went  at 
once  to  Augusta. 

The  funeral  services  were  held  in  Trinity  Church, 
Columbia,  on  Thursday  afternoon,  February  18.  The 
interior  of  the  church  building  was  elaborately  dec- 
orated with  white  cloth  and  flowers.  There  were  no 
outward  signs  of  mourning  save  the  grief  evident  on 
the  faces  and  in  the  bearing  of  the  great  congrega- 
tion. The  church  looked,  so  it  was  remarked,  as 
though  it  had  been  prepared  for  the  celebration  of  an 
Easter  festival. 

The  clergy  of  the  city  and  vicinity  were  present  in 
a  body,  as  was  also  a  full  representation  of  the  minis- 
ters of  the  various  denominations,  who  occupied  by 
invitation  seats  in  the  choir.  In  the  body  of  the 
church  was  the  priest  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 
The  funeral  services  were  conducted  by  the  Bishop  of 
the  diocese,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Ellison  Capers,  a  former 
rector  of  Trinity  Church,  assisted  by  the  Archdeacon 
of  Columbia  and  others.  The  hymns  sung  were 
special  favorites  of  Satterlee,  "Jesus  lives,"  and  "O 
Zion  haste  thy  mission  high  fulfilling,"  the  latter  by 
appointment  of  his  family  as  an  expression  of  his 


FINISHING  HIS  COURSE.  169 

earnest  missionary  feeling  and  work.  The  reces- 
sional was  "When  morning  gilds  the  skies."  As  the 
choir  sang,  the  bells  at  the  Olympia  Mills,  where  the 
rector  had  done  so  much  loving  and  effective  mission- 
ary work,  were  solemnly  tolled  as  a  token  of  the 
grief  of  the  operatives. 

A  short  address  was  made  by  Bishop  Capers,  in 
which  he  paid  a  high  tribute  to  Satterlee's  character 
and  his  work  in  Columbia.  In  conclusion,  addressing 
himself  to  Bishop  Satterlee,  who  sat  immediately  in 
front  of  him,  the  speaker  said  : 

"It  is  an  inexpressible  honor  to  have  reared  such  a 
son  and  given  him  to  God  in  His  holy  ministry,  and 
now  that  you  are  called  upon,  my  dear  brother,  to 
give  him  back  to  God,  it  is  strength  and  peace  to 
know  that  his  bishop  and  these  brethren,  the  vestry, 
and  the  congregation  of  Trinity  assure  you  that  his 
ministry  was  an  honor  to  him  and  to  you,  and  a 
blessing  to  the  people." 

Bishop  Satterlee,  leaving  his  pew  and  standing  in 
the  aisle  beside  the  casket,  closed  the  service  by  pro- 
nouncing the  benediction. 

The  progress  of  the  funeral  party  resembled  a 
devotional  pilgrimage.  All  the  way  from  Augusta 
to  New  Hamburgh,  wherever  a  change  was  made, 
the  body  was  met  by  former  friends  and  associates, 
clergymen  and  laymen.  At  Columbia,  at  Washing- 
ton, at  New  York,  special  delegations  were  present, 
the  members  of  which  bore  the  casket  with  their  own 
hands  from  point  to  point.     A  special  service  for  the 


i7o  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

benefit  of  relatives  and  friends  was  held  in  Calvary 
Church,  New  York,  the  following  Saturday  morning, 
the  attendance  being  surprisingly  large. 

Later  in  the  day  the  body  was  conveyed  to  New 
Hamburgh  in  a  special  car,  accompanied  by  the 
family,  relatives  and  friends.  Classmates  at  the 
Seminary  and  College  friends  bore  the  body  to  its 
last  resting  place.  Bishop  Satterlee  himself  read  the 
Committal  Service,  and  short  prayers  were  offered 
by  two  of  Satterlee's  classmates.  Here  in  the  family 
plot  in  the  cemetery  of  the  little  village  on  the  banks 
of  the  Hudson  where  he  was  born  thirty-six  years 
before,  all  that  is  mortal  of  Churchill  Satterlee  now 
reposes. 

Three  children  were  born  of  Satterlee's  marriage 
to  his  wife  Helen  Stuyvesant  Folsom;  Henry  Yates 
named  after  his  grandfather,  the  Bishop  of  Washing- 
ton, born  April  8,  1900;  Etheldred  Frances,  born 
May  20,  1902,  and  Churchill,  his  father's  namesake, 
born  May  25,  1904. 


CHAPTER    VIII 

AFTERMATH. 

If  the  preceding  chapters  have  not  sufficed  to 
afford  the  reader  some  clear  idea  of  the  man  of  whom 
they  treat,  it  is  obvious  that  the  mere  printing  of 
resolutions  and  of  letters  of  appreciation  will  be  of 
small  avail  to  that  end.  But  though  this  be  true,  it 
yet  may  be  of  interest  to  those  who  have  followed  the 
record  thus  far  to  read  in  a  supplementary  chapter 
extracts  from  some  of  the  many  resolutions  and  let- 
ters received  by  Satterlee's  family  after  his  death. 
The  perusal  of  these  documents  cannot,  it  is  believed, 
fail  to  deepen  any  impression  made  by  reading  the 
foregoing  narrative,  and  may  also  serve  to  throw  an 
additional  side  light  upon  Satterlee's  personality  and 
character.  Indeed,  it  was  due  mainly  to  a  study  of 
these  documents  and  to  the  strong  impression  made 
by  their  contents  of  the  remarkable  character  of  Sat- 
terlee's influence,  that  the  idea  of  attempting  to  inter- 
pret his  life  assumed  definite  shape. 

One  of  those  who  knew  him  well,  a  woman  of 
intellectual  force  and  critical  judgment,  in  giving  her 
opinion  as  to  the  advisability  of  publishing  an  account 
of  Satterlee's  life,  thus  expresses  herself : 

171 


i72  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

"These  personal  tributes  and  impressions  from  so 
many  different  sources  have  given  me  such  a  fresh 
and  inspiring  picture  of  Churchill's  Fife  and  character, 
that  I  wish  it  were  possible  to  cast  them  in  some 
form  which  would  convey  the  same  vivid  idea  of  his 
personality  to  others.  The  difficulty  is.  that  a  char- 
acter so  marked  by  simplicity,  purity  and  single- 
mindedness,  could  not  be  analyzed  or  described  in 
detail  (as  a  more  complicated  nature  might  be), 
without  destroying  the  truth  and  unity  of  the  im- 
pression instead  of  strengthening  it.  One  great 
secret  of  his  power  certainly  lay  in  the  transparency 
of  his  life — the  perfect  harmony  between  aims  and 
motives  and  outward  acts  and  deeds. — and  it  would 
seem  hardly  possible  to  understand  him  (except  for 
those  nearest  to  him),  without  knowing  something  of 
his  active  work.  or.  through  illustrations,  of  the 
results  of  his  personal  influence  on  the  lives  of  all 
Kinds  of  people, — or  by  seeing,  in  the  evidence  of 
^uch  love,  gratitude  and  loyalty  as  is  shown  in  these 
tributes,  what  the  sympathy  and  self-sacrifice  must 
have  been  which  called  them  forth.  I  have  not 
clearly  expressed  what  T  mean — it  is  only  that  it 
seems  especially  true  in  his  case  that  he  can  be  best 
known  by  the  fruits  of  his  life. 

"It  does  seem  as  if  the  remarkable,   spontaneous- 
tribute  paid  to  his  memory  ought  to  be  interpreted, 
so  thai  it  may  be  seen  to  be  a  striking  testimony  to 
the  power  of  a  really  noble.  Christlike  character,  and 
a  proof  of  what  such   a  man  can  achieve  in  a   few- 


AFTERMATH.  173 

years,  beginning  with  a  comparatively  limited  sphere 
of  work  and  influence,  which  he  extended  and  made 
great  by  the  energy,  faith  and  enthusiasm  he  carried 
into  it,  as  well  as  by  his  practical  judgment  and 
executive  ability. 

"If  the  results  could  be  made  to  speak  for  them- 
selves, many  might  be  helped  and  inspired  by  such  a 
record  of  his  life.'' 

To  let  the  facts,  so  far  as  possible,  speak  for  them- 
selves, to  avoid  making  comments  or  passing  enco- 
miums has  been  the  constant  endeavor  of  the  writer. 
In  so  far  as,  and  wherever,  he  has  transgressed  this 
canon,  it  has  been  due  simply  to  the  unconscious  over- 
flowings of  his  own  admiration  for  the  personality  he 
has  endeavored  to  interpret  for  others. 

In  the  resolutions  passed  by  the  Vestry  of  Trinity 
Church,  testimony  is  borne  to  the  deep  love  and  rever- 
ence felt  for  their  late  rector  "by  all  who  knew  him 
or  had  seen  his  good  works." 

"Words  cannot  picture  nor  can  tongue  utter  the 
thoughts  of  our  hearts.  As  a  friend,  a  counsellor,  a 
preceptor  and  a  priest,  he  was  loved,  trusted  and 
revered." 

Adapting  to  his  case  the  words  of  St.  Paul,  they 
declare:  "  'In  all  tilings'  he  proved  himself  the  min- 
ister  of    God — 'in    much    patience,    in    affliction,    in 

necessities,  in  distress By  pureness,  by 

knowledge,   by   long  suffering,   by  kindness,   by  the 

Holy  Ghost,  by  love  unfeigned By  the 

word  of  truth,  by  the  power  of  God.  by  the  armor  of 


i74  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

righteousness,  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left 
.  ...  as  sorrowful  yet  alway  rejoicing;  as  poor 
yet  making-  rich ;  as  having  nothing  and  yet  possess- 
ing all  things.'  " 

The  following  account  of  a  memorial  service  held 
in  Grace  Church,  Morganton.  to  express  the  general 
sorrow  of  the  community  over  Satterlee's  death,  is 
taken  from  the  local  newspaper : 

"Notwithstanding  the  inclemency  of  the  weather, 
a  large  congregation  was  present,  composed  of  every 
denomination.  The  services  were  conducted  by  Rt. 
Rev.  Bishop  Horner.  A  short  form  of  evening  ser- 
vice was  used,  after  which  short  addresses  on  the  life 
and  services  of  Mr.  Satterlee  in  this  and  the  sur- 
rounding community  were  made.  The  tributes  paid 
were  beautiful  and  touching,  and  especially  was  this 
so  when  a  member  of  one  of  the  missions  arose  and 
spoke  of  the  great  work  done  and  the  influence  for 
good  which  his  presence  had  wrought.  At  the  close 
of  the  services  resolutions  were  offered  by  a  commit- 
tee of  representative  citizens,  which  were  adopted  by 
the  people  en  masse  rising." 

After  the  usual  preamble,  the  document  proceeds  as 
follows : 

"His  work  here  lives  after  him  in  more  fruitful 
lives,  in  brighter  homes,  in  light  brought  in  dark 
places. 

"It  matters  little  where  such  a  man  was  born  or 
how  he  died.     The  fragrancy  of  his  life,   like  the 


AFTERMATH.  175 

breath  of  a  spring  morning,  permeated  a  whole  com- 
munity. In  sorrowing  for  him  it  is  rather  ourselves 
that  we  sorrow  for,  that  we  shall  see  his  face  no 
more.  Like  the  great  Apostle,  whose  life  was  his 
model,  he  has  gone  up  unbound  to  a  greater  Jerusa- 
lem and  found  fit  association  with  the  white-robed 
and  palm-bearing  multitude  which  are  led  by  the 
Lamb. 

"In  the  six  years  of  Mr.  Satterlee's  ministry  here, 
it  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge  that  his  Chris- 
tian life  was  characterized  by  the  broadest  charity, 
the  most  unaffected  sympathy  with  the  troubles  of  all 
the  people;  while  to  those  permitted  the  privilege  of 
knowing  his  inner  home  life  there  was  shown  the 
quiet  beauty  of  the  cultured  Christian  fireside. 

"A  mighty  Cedar  of  Lebanon  is  laid  low. 
A  Prince  in  Israel  has  fallen ! 

"This  people,  irrespective  of  creed,  tender  sympa- 
thy to  the  parents  and  young  wife  of  the  deceased 
rector,  and  claim  to  share  with  them  some  part  of  the 
melancholy  pride  with  which  his  richly-led  life  is  sur- 
veyed by  all  who  knew  him  or  were  brought  under 
his  influence." 

The  Women's  Auxiliary  of  Trinity  Church  have 
this  to  say  regarding  his  missionary  zeal : 

"In  his  brief  ministry  of  three  years  among  us  he 
impressed   each   one   with   his   unusual   and   intense 


i76  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

interest  in  missions.     He  was  ever  animated  by  the 
spirit  of  his  favorite  missionary  hymn  : 

"  'Beware  lest,  slothful  to  fulfil  thy  mission, 
Thou  lose  one  jewel  that  should  deck  His  crown.' 

"He  longed  to  have  the  everlasting  Gospel  preached 
to  all  men,  at  home  and  abroad,  and  did  all  in  his 
power  not  only  to  teach  the  flock  committed  to  his 
care,  but  he  went  out  into  the  highways  and  lanes  and 
sought  by  gentle  but  most  earnest  efforts  to  bring  all 
sorts  and  conditions  of  men  into  our  Father's  House. 
Nor  did  his  missionary  zeal  stop  there,  but  also  in  the 
foreign  field  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  wherever  it  was 
possible  for  us  as  members  of  the  Auxiliary  to  extend 
our  aid,  he,  as  our  President,  did  all  he  could  to  help 
us  accomplish  all  we  would  for  the  glory  of  God  and 
the  benefit  of  our  fellow  men.  We  can  hear  his  fine 
voice  as  he  sang  : 

"  'My   tongue   shall    never   tire 
Of  chanting  with  the  choir, 

May  Jesus  Christ  be  praised.' 

"This  was  the  inspiring  motive  of  his  life." 
In  the  State,  the  leading  daily  newspaper  of  Colum- 
bia, was  printed  this  tribute: 

"Three  years  ago  the  Rev.  Churchill  Satterlee 
came  to  Columbia  a  stranger;  to-day  there  is  a 
shadow  over  many  households  and  sorrow  in  many 
hearts  in  this  city  because  of  bis  death.     To  hundreds 


AFTERMATH.  17  7 

of  friends  the  announcement  came  as  a  shock ;  they 
had  sustained  a  great  personal  loss. 

"Some  of  the  good  works  of  this  young  and  earn- 
est laborer  in  the  Lord's  vineyard  will  be  recounted 
elsewhere;  many  of  them  will  never  be  known,  for  he 
ministered  to  the  needy,  whether  in  body,  in  mind,  or 
in  soul,  and  only  his  God  knows  the  full  measure  of 
his  goodness.  The  secret  of  Mr.  Satterlee's  influence 
over  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  was,  doubt- 
less, their  abiding  faith  in  his  goodness,  earnestness, 
sincerity.  Unaffected,  absolutely  natural,  he  won 
those  who  would  have  been  repelled  by  the  affected  or 
veneered. 

"That  magnetism  by  which  the  Christian  gentle- 
man, the  sincere  and  kindly  man,  won  and  bound  to> 
him  those  he  met  in  the  social  walks,  Mr.  Satterlee 
exercised  from  the  pulpit.  His  belief  and  his  sim- 
plicity drew  his  hearers  toward  the  Church. 

"Truly,  a  good  man  has  gone  to  the  reward  of  the 
righteous." 

As  showing  the  cordial  relations  existing  between 
Satterlee  and  the  ministers  of  other  communions,  the 
following  extract  from  the  formal  resolutions  passed 
by  the  Ministerial  Brotherhood  of  Columbia  is 
quoted : 

"We,  his  brother  ministers  of  Christ,  held  him  in 
high  esteem  for  his  untiring  energv  in  the  Master's 
cause,  his  large  faith  in  the  word  and  power  of  his 
Heavenly  Father,  and  for  his  noble  and  exemplary 
life  among  us,  so  full  of  kindness  and  unselfish  deeds  : 


178  A   FISHER  OF  MEN. 

and  we  feel  that  our  community  has  suffered  a  severe 
and  heavy  loss  by  his  death." 

Bishop  Capers,  in  the  course  of  an  address  deliv- 
ered at  the  funeral,  speaks  thus  of  the  secret  of  Sat- 
terlee's  influence: 

"His  untiring  earnestness,  his  unselfishness,  his 
executive  ability,  his  consecration  to  his  official 
duties,  his  devotion  to  the  poor,  to  the  sick,  and  above 
all  and  beyond  most  men  I  have  met  who  were  men 
of  culture  and  of  great  gifts,  his  marked  humility, 
won  for  him  the  confidence  and  affection  of  hundreds 
of  those  who  came  to  know  him,  or  to  sit  under  his 
earnest  ministry. 

"The  charm  of  his  sincerity,  the  grace  of  his 
humility,  the  force  of  his  mind,  and  the  manly  sym- 
pathy of  his  generous  heart  drew  men  near  to  him, 
and  they  thoroughly  trusted,  loved  and  followed 
him." 

The  letters  received  came  from  all  sorts  of  people, 
dignitaries  of  the  Church,  clergymen  who  at  various 
limes  worked  with  him  or  under  him,  clergymen  who 
came  only  in  occasional  contact  with  him,  lay  workers 
associated  with  him,  both  men  and  women,  members 
of  the  two  parishes  which  he  served,  personal  and 
family  friends,  and  those  who  had  but  little  direct 
knowledge  of  him,  yet  who  had  learned  to  respect 
and  admire  him  as  the  result  of  what  they  had  heard 
of  his  work  and  influence.  These  letters  coming 
from  so  many  different  sources  and  representing 
diverse  types  of  character  and  individual  outlook,  vet 


AFTERMATH.  179 

exhibit  a  remarkable  unanimity  of  sentiment  as 
touching  the  subject  of  their  appreciation.  To  all, 
Satterlee's  personality  presented  a  combination  of 
qualities  evoking'  in  their  hearts  a  feeling  of  true  rev- 
erence and  deep  personal  affection.  The  concrete 
portrait  presented  is  that  of  a  man  who  sincerely 
loved  men  and  ungrudgingly  gave  himself  to  their 
service.  If  not  great  from  a  purely  intellectual 
standpoint,  he  may  yet  be  pronounced  so  in  his  ability 
to  win  the  love  of  others  and  imbue  them  with  a 
measure  of  his  own  spiritual  devotion  and  zeal. 

Here  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  to  Bishop  Satterlee 
from  the  Archdeacon  of  Columbia : 

"You  may  have  heard  it,  and  a  dozen  times,  but  to 
me  it  is  so  glorious  that  I  must  speak  of  it — what  a 
marvelous  influence  his  three  years'  living  here 
wrought  among  the  people  of  this  town.  It  is  mani- 
fested in  so  many  ways.  What  you  saw,  at  Trinity, 
the  hour  we  said  Mother  Church's  benediction  over 
the  honored  temple  of  his  soul,  was  a  fair  token  of 
the  estimate  placed  upon  his  character  here,  by  all ; 
and  even  those  dissenting  clergy,  who  came  as  close 
up — it  was  infinitely  pathetic  to  me — as  could  be 
allowed,  brought  more  than  their  personal  interpre- 
tation of  the  meaning  of  the  occasion, — they  were 
representatives  of  their  people's  esteem  for  and  confi- 
dence in  him,  whose  departure  is  an  acknowledged 
common  loss.  As  for  the  men  and  women  here  in 
general,  I  never  go  out,  without  finding  some  expres- 
sion of  the  affection  borne  him,  and  that  even  vet 


i8o  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

sometimes  accompanied  with  tears.  The  last  time 
but  one  I  was  on  Main  street.  I  was  met  by  Mr.  C — , 
a  Presbyterian,  and  president  of  the  Carolina  Bank, 
who  grasped  my  hand  most  warmly,  expressing 
regret  that  he  was  absent  at  the  funeral,  and  speaking 
of  his  profound  admiration  of  Churchill,  and  ere  we 
parted  his  eyes  were  glistening  with  tears.  For  a 
man  to  come  among  strangers,  and  in  three  years. 
without  a  thought  of  doing  it.  to  win  the  confidence 
and  love  of  a  whole  community,  if  this  is  not  to  be  a 
Christian,  what  is? 

"As  for  myself,  dear  Bishop,  always  will  it  be  a 
source  of  strength  that  for  even  so  short  a  time  I 
conld  have  and  hold  your  son  for  a  friend.  He  was 
so  gracious  to  me,  congenial,  gentle,  thoughtful.  In 
a  way  which  was  a  support  he  sympathized  with  me 
concerning  the  'peculiar  people'  to  whom  I  am  bound, 
in  life  and  labor — and  for  all  that  he  was  and  did.  for 
his  friendship  and  confidence  and  for  the  tender  mem- 
ory of  him,  I  shall  be  thankful." 

Here  is  an  appreciation  of  Satterlee's  character  by 
a  clergyman  who  knew  him  intimately  during  the 
early  part  of  his  career: 

"My  own  associations  with  Churchill  were  before 
.and  during  that  important  part  of  one's  life  when  the 
choice  of  a  vocation  was  receiving  quiet  yet  anxious 
consideration.  The  same  prominent,  native  charac- 
teristics, then  and  always  shone  forth  in  him.  Not 
alone  his  uniformly  gentle,  and,  therefore,  amiable 
qualities,  but  withal  an  exceptional  regard  for  perfect 


AFTERMATH.  i8* 

fairness  in  dealing  with,  or  estimating,  the  characters 
and  opinions  of  others.  Anyone  acquainted  with 
Churchill  could  not  fail  to  know  his  distaste  for  any- 
thing which  was  not  perfectly  genuine,  his  dislike  of 
the  flimsy,  especially  in  one's  character,  least  of  all  in 
possible  material  for  the  sacred  ministry.  I  think 
often  of  the  cheerfulness  which  he  manifested  in 
sickness,  when  many  another,  I  fancy  most  of  us, 
would  have  thought  ourselves  quite  unfairly  dealt 
with." 

The  following  is  from  the  Rector  of  St.  Paul's 
School,  Concord,  N.  H. : 

"I  have  had  several  delightful  letters  from  your 
son  Churchill  during  the  last  few  years.  First  he 
wrote  me,  announcing  the  birth  of  his  boy;  then  later 
with  regard  to  a  boy  in  Morganton  whom  he  thought 
would  prove  worthy  of  a  scholarship  at  the  School 
and  whom  he  hoped  would  eventually  become  a  useful 
and  honored  man  in  his  community,  but,  as  his 
experience  ripened  he  withdrew  this  first  named  boy 
and  substituted  another  whom  he  thought  better  fitted 
for  the  life  and  its  advantages.  I  was  rejoiced  to  be 
able  to  further  his  wishes  and  to  aid  him  to  the  extent 
of  my  power  in  the  noble  work  he  had  in  hand.  Since 
his  removal  to  Columbia  I  have  heard  from  him 
twice,  once  in  answer  to  some  inquiries  in  regard  to 
his  work,  and  again  last  fall  a  most  cordial  response 
to  an  invitation  to  spend  Thanksgiving  Day  with 
Mrs.  Satterlee  at  the  school  and  preach  to  the  boys. 
All  these  letters,  few  in  number  though  they  were, 


i82  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

bore  the  impress  of  thorough  devotion  to  his  work 
and  a  very  lofty  standard  with  regard  to  it.  I  should 
imagine  that  he  had  endeared  himself  greatly  to  the 
people  in  Columbia.  He  had  those  warm  and  gener- 
ous traits,  that  sincere  and  simple  piety  which  won 
him  their  hearts.  It  is  a  sore  trial  as  one  grows  old 
to  see  the  choice  and  noble  men  whom  one  hopes  are 
to  carry  on  the  Church's  work  in  the  future,  and  to 
meet  with  the  right  courage  and  wisdom  the  prob- 
lems that  are  arising  on  every  side,  fall  one  by  one 
in  the  very  prime  of  life,  and  one  might  say  at  the 
beginning  of  the  battle." 

The  three  letters  following  are  from  clergymen 
who  at  various  times  worked  under  him  as  curates : 

"Though  my  knowledge  of  Mr.  Satterlee  was  as 
compared  with  that  of  many  others  a  brief  and  lim- 
ited one.  yet  there  were  certain  things  that  impressed 
themselves  upon  me  in  a  way  that  cannot  be  for- 
gotten. 

"There  was,  of  course,  devotion  to  the  cause  of  his 
Master  and  the  Church,  but  there  was  with  this  a 
certain  rare  unselfishness  and  deep  humility.  There 
was  an  utter  want  of  egotism  and  self-assertion.  He 
had  certain  strong  opinions  and  ideas,  but  he  was 
perfectly  ready  to  listen  with  entire  gentleness  and 
without  any  show  or  trace  of  feeling  to  what  others 
had  to  say. 

"And  then,  as  one  looks  back,  one  can  see  how  he 
was  continually  thinking  of  other  people  and  making 
provision  for  their  happiness  and  welfare.     He  was 


AFTERMATH.  183 

always  ready,  as  I  knew  before  I  came  here,  by  cor- 
respondence with  him,  to  do  all  that  he  could  to  help 
even  the  weak  and  worthless  members  of  his  old 
flock,  who  called  out  in  other  quarters  only  condem- 
nation. 

"He  had  that  mark  of  the  true  priest,  that  his  char- 
acter merited  confidence,  that  as  many  people  have 
said,  they  found  it  so  easy  to  tell  him  things  about 
themselves.  The  many  deeds  of  individual  help  and 
kindness  to  the  sick  and  distressed,  are  unknown  and 
will  ever  be  unknown.  But  they  are  treasured  in  a 
higher  book  of  record  than  any  earthly  one. 

"There  is  a  sad  pleasure  in  looking  back  to  the 
almost  boyish  impulsiveness  and  eagerness  which 
went  always  with  a  real  simplicity  and  purity  of 
heart.  He  has  passed  from  our  sight,  but  his  exam- 
ple and  memory  are  still  with  us  to  stimulate  and 
encourage,  especially  those  of  us  who  are  men,  in  our 
efforts  to  follow  our  Master,  to  serve  God,  to  be  pure 
and  true  and  loving." 

Another  says : 

"I  am  very  happy  to  say  that  it  was  my  pleasure 
and  privilege  to  be  the  assistant  of  your  son,  Rev. 
Churchill  Satterlee,  in  Columbia  for  over  a  year,  and 
consequently  I  learned  to  know  and  to  love  him  a 
great  deal.  I  considered  him  one  of  my  best  and 
kindest  friends,  and  in  his  death  I  suffered  a  personal 
loss.  With  the  exception  of  the  death  of  my  own 
dear  father,  only  three  months  before,  the  news  of 
Mr.  Satterlee's  death  was  the  greatest  shock  I  have 


iS4  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

ever  had.  He  was,  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word,  a 
Minister  of  God.  always  on  the  lookout  for  some  way 
in  which  lie  could  minister  to  the  needs  of  others, 
thoughtless  of  self  and  always  thoughtful  of  others. 
Frequently  I  would  go  to  him  for  funds  to  help  some 
of  the  factory  people,  and  not  once  do  I  remember 
being  refused  when  it  was  at  all  possible  for  him  to 
help  me.  He  was  loved  by  one  and  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact,  rich  or  poor,  white  or  black.  And 
as  our  dear  Bishop  Capers  said,  at  his  funeral,  he 
owed  his  success  in  the  Ministry  to  his  humility.  As 
a  man  I  loved  him ;  as  a  Minister  of  God  I  honored 
and  reverenced  him ;  as  a  good,  true  and  kind  friend 
I  valued  him.  more  than  words  can  express.  I  con- 
sider the  time  I  worked  under  his  directions  the  hap- 
piest days  of  my  early  ministry." 

A  third  writes : 

"I  became  very  fond  of  him  during  my  short  term 
of  laboring  with  him  in  Trinity  Church,  and  it  was 
a  great  sorrow  when  I  felt  I  must  accept  the  urgent 
call  to  this  parish.  Mr.  Satterlee  was  a  man  of  rare 
personality.  During  my  brief  sojourn  with  him  I 
saw  him  in  many  phases  of  life.  We  worked  together, 
we  took  a  trip  together  and  we  camped  together,  and 
we  also  lived  together,  because  I  was  his  guest  in  his 
home  for  nearly  a  month,  and  during  my  stay  I  was 
in  and  out  all  the  time.  At  all  times  his  life  was  one 
of  sweetness  and  gentleness.  He  was  always  kind 
and  thoughtful  and  was  ever  looking  out  for  the 
opportunity  to  do  a  kindness  for  another.     He  was  a 


AFTERMATH.  185 

thorough-going  practical  Christian  who  let  his  light 
shine  upon  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him.  I  think 
perhaps  the  most  striking  characteristics  of  his  per- 
sonality were  his  love  and  gentleness  and  pure  good- 
ness, with  humility  and  simplicity,  yet  always  with 
great  dignity. 

"1  feel  that  one  of  my  greatest  blessings  in  going 
to  Columbia  was  in  my  becoming  acquainted  with 
your  son,  whom  I  loved  very  dearly.  His  life  was  a 
benediction  to  all  who  knew  him." 

A  former  professor  under  whom  Satterlee  studied 
in  the  General  Theological  Seminary,  now  Vicar  of 
Lambeth,  London,  writes : 

"For  Churchill  there  is  nothing  but  thankfulness. 
His  was  a  pure  spirit,  freer  than  that  of  most  men 
from  any  kind  of  condemnation,  and  his  joy  tempered 
though  it  is  by  absence  in  the  flesh  from  those  he 
loves,  must  be  great.  Now  face  to  face,  what  that  is, 
who  can  tell?  he  has  found  the  solution  of  all  prob- 
lems in  the  realization  of  a  perfect  Life  which  over- 
laps them  all." 

The  Bishop  of  Salina,  who  knew  Satterlee  during 
his  boyhood,  has  this  to  say : 

"He  seems  indeed  to  have  endeared  himself  to  his 
people,  and  certainly  did  a  splendid  work  for  Christ. 

"I  well  remember  at  Blue  Mountain  Lake  you 
asked  me  to  encourage  him  to  study  for  the  ministry. 
You  said,  Tf  you  had  a  dozen  sons,  wouldn't  you 
want  them  all  to  study  for  the  ministry?'     Though 


1 86  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

you  had  only  the  one,  he  seems  to  have  done  a  twelve- 
fold service." 

The  Bishop  of  North  Carolina,  who  recommended 
Satterlee  to  his  Morganton  parish,  pays  this  tribute 
to  his  character : 

"I  have  known  very  few  men  who  impressed  me 
as  being  so  truly  godly  and  pure  and  high  minded." 

The  Bishop  of  Southern  Ohio,  who  sought  to 
secure  Satterlee  for  an  important  work  in  his  own 
diocese,  writes : 

"I  know  what  he  was  to  you  and  to  others,  how 
nobly  he  had  gone  on,  fulfilling  your  own  best  ideals 
for  him  as  a  man  and  a  man  of  God.  I  went  from 
here  to  Asheville,  to  try  and  get  him  for  my  Cincin- 
nati Associate  Mission.  I  never  shall  forget  the  im- 
pression he  made  on  me." 

Writes  the  Bishop  of  Los  Angeles,  who  had 
known  him  from  his  boyhood : 

"Churchill  was  such  a  dear,  useful,  manly  man.  I 
had  heard  nothing  of  his  illness,  and  only  last  week, 
in  a  Church  paper,  something  was  said  of  a  fresh 
honor  that  had  been  conferred  upon  him.  1  thought 
of  him  as  still  doing  the  same  vigorous  work  that  he 
had  been  doing  ever  since  he  went  to  Columbia." 

The  Bishop  of  Albany,  who  ordained  Satterlee  to 
the  priesthood,  and  in  whose  diocese  he  began  his 
ministry,  writes: 

"It  is  among  the  grateful  memories  of  my  episco- 
pate that  I  was  in  more  ways  than  one  connected  with 
Churchill.      As    a    missionary    in    the    Adirondack 


AFTERMATH.  187 

region  of  the  Diocese  of  Albany,  where  he  laid  the 
foundations  of  a  mission  that  has  grown  to  such 
strength ;  as  at  work  in  the  old  parish  of  St.  Peter's 
in  the  city ;  and  as  one  of  the  men  whom  I  ordered 
to  the  Priesthood,  I  came  to  know  him  well  and  to 
love  him  better  than  I  knew  him.  He  combined  in 
his  character  rare  spiritual  gifts,  unusual  intellectual 
power,  and  a  consecrated  energy  which  gave  the 
whole  of  himself  without  reserve  to  the  work  of  the 
Master.  There  was  in  his  life  the  promise,  as  we 
thought,  of  the  longer  service  which  God  did  not 
grant  him,  and  of  the  larger  service  which  he  carried 
out  in  his  work  in  North  Carolina." 

The  Bishop  of  Massachusetts  writes : 

"With  what  satisfaction  and  pride  you  have 
watched  your  son  Churchill  from  childhood.  What 
gratitude  you  must  have  felt  at  his  entrance  into 
Holy  Orders.  Above  all,  however,  must  be  the  note 
of  gratitude  that  he  has  through  life  been  a  loving 
son  and  a  pure  and  devoted  follower  of  the  Master. 
He  has  been  of  the  saints  through  life,  and  now  he  is 
numbered  with  them  above." 

The  Bishop  of  California,  in  whose  diocese  Satter- 
lee  did  mission  work  for  a  while,  writes : 

"How  well  I  remember  the  charm  of  his  person- 
ality and  the  devotedness  to  his  calling,  when  I  had 
the  opportunity  of  meeting  him  in  Southern  Califor- 
nia not  long  after  his  ordination.  His  rest  has  come 
early,  early  has  he  fulfilled  his  noble  ministry." 


i88  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

The  Bishop  Coadjutor  of  the  Diocese  of  Pennsyl- 
vania sends  this  letter : 

"He  bore  in  his  countenance  a  wonderful  testimony 
to  his  character.     It  always  seemed  to  me  that  I  had 
never  met  a  young  man  who  impressed  one  as  more 
thoroughly  and  essentially  the  Christian  gentleman 
than  he.     The  story  of  his  work  in  North  Carolina 
before  he  went  to  Columbia  was  a  noble  one.     I  had 
from  time  to  time  more  or  less  correspondence  with 
him,  and  his  whole  attitude  towards  that  interesting 
mountain  work  always  inspired  me  and  made  me  feel 
that  here  was  a  man  who  was  not  only  living  a  life  of 
the  greatest  usefulness,  but  one  in  which  he  was  him- 
self sanctified  by  bis  own  unselfish  effort.     The  record 
of  the  way  in  which  his  life  was  regarded  in  Colum- 
bia, later  on,  showed  that   its  inspiration   remained. 
I  bad  he  been  born  and  educated  in  that  neighborhood, 
the   community   could    not   have   been    more   deeply 
moved  by  his  loss.     1  doubt  whether  any  man  who,  in 
this  generation,   has  gone   from  one  portion   of  the 
country   to   another,    has   ever   won    so   thorough    a 
respect,    and    so    cordial    an    affection.       Fie    bound 
together  the  North  and  the  South  by  another  golden 
cord  of  good  will,  and  of  service  willingly  rendered 
and  received  in  his  .Master's  Name.     Brief  as  was  his 
life,  he  did  a  work  which,  however  modest  and  un- 
known to  the  great  public  of  the  country,   was  vet 
sufficient  to  surround  bis  name  with  a  halo  in  the  eves 
of  those  who  knew  about   him.   and  to  show  other 
young  men   what   can  be  accomplished  by  the  quiet 


AFTERMATH.  ^9 

life  of  a  soul  that  has  thought  only  of  doing  the  best 
and  noblest  in  the  service  of  God  and  man." 

The  Bishop  of  Pennsylvania,  who  knew  him  only 
by  the  reputation  which  his  work  had  won  for  him, 
writes  thus : 

"I  had  not  the  pleasure  of  your  son's  acquaintance, 
but  I  have  heard  much  of  him,  of  his  commanding 
ability,  and  self-sacrificing  spirit  and  heroic  devotion 
to  the  work  to  which  he  had  been  so  manifestly 
called." 

The  Bishop  of  East  Carolina,  who  was  familiar, 
from  his  personal  knowledge,  with  Satterlee's  mis- 
sionary labors  in  Morganton,  thus  expresses  himself : 

"We  are  grieved  and  shocked  by  the  news  of  your 
loss.  It  would  have  been  sad  news  for  us  anyhow, 
but  it  is  more  keenly  so,  because  of  our  very  pleasant 
and  cordial  reception  by  him,  and  our  sight  of  his 
good  work  when  I  visited  Morganton  when  Bishop 
Cheshire  was  abroad.  I  did  so  admire  your  son  and 
his  work  that  I  could  not  help  wishing  him  to  help  me 
in  my  own  diocese.  But  God  has  taken  him  to  a 
higher  life,  and  we  may  be  sure,  to  a  higher  work." 

The  Bishop  of  Asheville,  under  whom,  for  a  time, 
Satterlee  worked  at  Morganton,  says : 

"His  ability  to  win  the  love  and  confidence  of  all 
the  people  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  was  phe- 
nomenal." 

The  Bishop  of  West  Virginia  writes : 

"I  never  knew  him,  but  T  had  always  such  accounts 
of  his  life  and  work,  that  T  could  not  but  think  of  him 


i9o  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

as  a  great  comfort  to  you  and  of  great  promise  to  the 
Church." 

Says  the  Bishop  of  Maine,  who  was  at  the  Semi- 
nary with  him : 

"Yes,  Churchill  was  your  offering  to  the  Master 
for  work  here  and  in  Paradise." 

The  Bishop  of  New  Jersey,  who  at  one  time  sought 
to  secure  his  services  for  the  Associate  Mission  in 
Trenton,  writes : 

"The  last  person  1  saw  as  I  left  Washington  the 
day  after  the  Missionary  Council,  was  your  son,  a 
prince  among  men  in  his  beauty  and  stature,  and 
likely  to  live  for  many  a  year.  The  Church  loses 
heavily  in  his  death,  but  your  loss  is  greatest  of  all  " 

The  Bishop  of  New  York,  under  whose  jurisdiction 
he  entered  the  ministry,  declares: 

"His  high  ideal  of  his  ministry,  and  his  entire  con- 
secration to  it  always  impressed  me." 

The  Bishop  of  Western  Massachusetts  writes : 

"I  did  not  know  your  boy  well.  You  remember 
you  put  him  in  my  charge  once,  on  shipboard,  but  he 
had  so  many  friends  then,  I  saw  little  of  him.  I 
remember  how  handsome  and  attractive  he  was,  and 
since  then  his  praise  has  been  in  everybody's  mouth. 
The  Church  has  suffered  a  great  loss." 

A  classmate  at  the  Seminary,  who  labored  in  an 
adjacent  diocese,  sends  this  appreciation  : 

"While  our  acquaintance  at  the  Seminary  was 
casual,  we  all  knew  his  sterling  worth.  I  followed 
his  course  in  the  Ministry  with  growing  interest  and 


AFTERMATH.  191 

admiration.  So  impressed  was  I  with  the  richness  of 
his  character,  and  his  striking  administrative  ability, 
that  it  was  with  real  pleasure  I  earnestly  strove 
to  have  him  for  my  Bishop,  although  so  young,  when 
the  Council  of  East  Carolina  met  to  elect  a  Coadjutor, 
placing  his  name  before  the  Council  and  maintaining 
it.  And.  if  in  God's  Providence  he  might  have  held 
that  high  office,  T  am  sure  my  regard  and  affection 
would  have  but  increasingly  gone  out  to  him.  Now 
that  the  Master  has  called  him  to  the  more  perfect 
service  and  its  rich  rewards,  I  am  grateful  for  his 
life  and  that  I  knew  somewhat  of  it." 

The  Rector  of  old  St.  Michael's  Church  of  Charles- 
ton, S.  C,  writes : 

"His  simplicity  of  character,  his  earnestness  of 
purpose  and  devotion  to  his  work  impressed  us  all. 
His  was  indeed  a  beautiful  life,  and  an  inspiring 
example,  and  I  feel  that  I  am  a  better  man  for  having 
known  him.  He  had  won  his  way  so  entirely  into 
the  hearts  and  sympathies  of  the  people  of  Trinity 
and  of  Columbia,  that  no  tribute  they  could  render 
was  sufficiently  expressive  of  their  feelings  towards 
him.  and  it  is  very  much  to  know  that  he  had  won 
this  secure  place  after  so  comparatively  brief  a  min- 
istry." 

One  of  Satterlee's  clerical  neighbors,  while  at  Mor- 
ganton,  who  had  experienced  the  power  of  his  sym- 
pathy, writes  as  follows : 

"Of  all  those  among  the  clergy  I  have  met,  I  think 
your  son  was,  without  exception,  the  most  lovable. 


i92  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

When  I  was  in  the  Diocese  of  Asheville,  I  met  him 
frequently.  At  that  time  I  was  very  much  broken, 
was  discouraged  and  saddened.  The  last  night  I  was 
in  the  diocese  I  spent  at  his  house  in  Morganton. 
After  we  had  retired,  he  rose  and  came  to  my  room, 
and  sat  on  the  edge  of  the  bed  and  we  had  a  long 
talk.  Kind  hearted,  sympathetic,  and  above  all,  mar- 
velously  clear  headed,  he  seemed  to  know  by  intuition 
just  the  right  word  to  say.  The  next  morning  he 
went  with  me  to  the  train.  It  was  long  before  sun- 
rise, and  he  insisted  on  telegraphing  to  you,  that  you 
might  expect  me  as  a  guest  the  next  day  in  Wash- 
ington. 

"To  my  mind  he  was  above  all  others  adapted  to 
missionary  work.  I  have  ever  looked  to  his  becom- 
ing a  Missionary  Bishop.  In  the  Convention  at 
Albany,  the  eleventh  of  last  month,  I  had  a  talk  with 
a  few  young  men  who  also  knew  him.  We  agreed 
to  put  him  in  nomination  as  Bishop  Coadjutor.  I 
was  to  present  his  name  and  one  of  the  others  was  to 
second  it.  It  was  unlikely  that  he  would  receive  more 
than  our  own  votes,  but  it  would  satisfy  my  own  con- 
science. The  one  who  had  promised  to  second  my 
nomination  lost  courage  and  failed  me.  At  the  time 
I  felt  very  much  annoyed,  but  I  am  glad  I  did  make 
the  little  speech  I  did.  and  publicly  testified  to  my 
appreciation  of  him." 

One  who  during  his  deaconate  had  been  the  recipi- 
ent of  Satterlee's  friendship  and  brotherly  help,  sends 
his  grateful  acknowledgment : 


AFTERMATH.  193 

"If  I  have  had  any  success  in  the  Ministry,  it  is  due 
in  great  part  to  what  I  learned  visiting  your  son  at 
the  rectory  in  Morganton  and  asking  his  advice,  for 
he  never  failed  to  encourage  me.  I  came  to  him 
when  I  needed  a  friend,  and  often  exchanged  Sunday 
services,  so  as  to  give  my  people  the  blessed  Sacra- 
ment of  the  Holy  Communion.  In  December,  1902, 
he  called  me  to  assist  him  in  his  work  at  Columbia. 
These  things  naturally  drew  me  to  Mr.  Satterlee, 
whom  I  admired  not  a  little  for  his  beautiful  life  and 
zealous  ministry." 

A  young  clergyman  who  was  associated  with  him 
for  several  years  writes  : 

"It  was  a  pleasure  to  know  him,  and  to  be  so  inti- 
mately associated  with  him  as  I  was  for  several  years. 
The  secret  of  his  success  was  no  secret  to  those  who- 
saw  him  unreservedly.  He  gave  himself  to  his  work. 
Like  the  Master  whom  he  so  faithfully  served,  he 
spared  not  himself.  It  is  not  surprising  that  his  peo- 
ple always  loved  him." 

One  of  the  Masters  at  St.  Paul's  School  writes : 

"From  the  time  of  his  coming  here  as  a  boy,  to  the 
day  of  his  death  as  a  man,  he  has  given  us  at  the 
School  only  remembrances  that  made  us  proud  to 
have  him  an  old  St.  Paul's  boy. 

"I  do  not  like  to  think  of  the  loss  to  the  Church  of 
his  earnest  and  telling  work  for  the  Lord  and  for  the 
men  whom  He  came  to  save.  I  love  to  think  that 
somehow  for  the  dead  who  worked  for  Christ  here, 
there  is,  in  that  time  of  waiting,  some  real  sphere  of 


i94  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

helpfulness  that  corresponds  in  its  proper  degree  to 
'the  preaching  to  the  Spirits  in  prison.'  Even  for  the 
Church  of  Christ  such  a  death  is  so  made  less  of  a 
loss  than  it  seems. 

"It  is,  however,  from  those  among  whom  he 
directly  ministered,  from  those  who  were  drawn  to 
him  by  the  cords  of  his  helpfulness  and  human  sym- 
pathy, that  the  most  illuminating  estimate  of  Sat- 
terlee's  personality  is  naturally  to  be  found." 

One  of  the  devoted  women  who  labored  side  by 
side  with  him  in  the  mountains  of  North  Carolina 
and  subsequently  in  the  mill  work  at  Columbia  writes, 
evidently  out  of  the  fulness  of  her  heart: 

"You  must  know  how  I  loved  him,  who  by  his 
helpful  encouragement  had  developed  all  that  was 
best  in  me,  who  has  in  the  past  four  happy  years 
made  me  feel  that  the  Master  had  work  for  me  to  do 
in  His  vineyard.  I  who  always  felt  so  privileged  to 
be  one  of  his  teachers !  I  think  our  Heavenly  Father 
must  have  in  His  tender  blessings  to  His  children, 
have  given  me  those  bright  days  with  him  last  sum- 
mer, when  again  I  might  learn  from  him  in  that 
wonderful  humility,  that  pure  unselfishness,  that  lov- 
ing, pitiful,  sympathetic,  forgiving  heart,  so  full  of 
love  for  humanity,  and  who  in  seeing  the  best  in 
others,  made  them  show  him  the  best;  and  who  by 
his  own  humble,  holy  walk  with  God  and  sincere 
belief  in  His  word,  led  others  so  willingly,  lovingly 
to  Him,  and  made  us  feel  it  was  so  easy  and  happy 
to  be  a  child  of  God.     What  a  wonderful  magnetic, 


AFTERMATH.  195 

tactful,  God-given  gift  he  had  in  his  influence  with 
all  kinds  and  sorts  of  people.  I  can  never  forget  his 
wonderful  patience  and  love  for  his  Alpine  sheep, 
steep  and  uphill  though  they  had  made  the  way  to 
win  them  and  bring  them  into  the  Master's  fold.  I 
think  in  this  precious  work  of  his  and  his  wonderful 
success  must  have  been  written  on  his  heart  the  para- 
ble of  the  Shepherd,  searching  after  his  lost  lamb, 
'more  precious  in  his  sight'  than  'the  ninety  and  nine 
which  went  not  astray.'  And  the  milling  people,  how 
they  reverenced  him !  I  can  see  them  now,  gathering 
around  him  for  a  word,  after  those  talks  with  them 
Sunday  nights.  Their  careworn  faces  would  brighten 
as  they  told  me  how  they  loved  to  have  him  with 
them,  and  to  hear  him  preach.  And  I  must  recall  to 
his  own  precious  wife,  the  wonderful  sweet  bright 
smile  that  illumined  his  face  when  a  little  girl  pre- 
sented him  with  a  beautiful  bunch  of  Southern 
flowers  here  at  our  little  entertainment  at  the  Mis- 
sion, and  said,  'Mr.  Satterlee,  we  give  these  flowers 
to  you  with  our  love,  and  wish  you  a  happy  visit 
away  and  a  speedy  return,'  and  he  turned  to  the  audi- 
ence, his  face  all  aglow  at  the  happy  thought,  and 
said  he  had  been  counting  the  hours  when  he  would 
be  with  Mrs.  Satterlee,  and  told  them  to  think  of  him 
at  such  a  time  when  he  would  take  those  beautiful 
flowers  to  her." 

Here  is  a  joint  letter  from  three  brothers,  who 
were  members  of  the  Morganton  Chapter  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew  : 


196  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

"Now  that  our  whole  community  has  met,  creed 
and  class  thrown  for  the  time  to  one  side,  to  express 
their  sense  of  his  loss,  we  feel  a  mournful  interest  in 
recording  for  your  own  eye,  the  great  good  wrought 
in  our  lives  by  the  association  permitted  to  us  with 
him,  whom  we  shall,  alas,  see  no  more  with  earthly 
eyes. 

"That  we  may  meet  him  and  enjoy  communion 
with  him  in  another  and  higher  realm,  is  now  the 
greatest  hope  we  have  in  life.  Bowing,  as  he  would 
have  us  bow,  to  God's  decree,  had  the  blow  fallen 
elsewhere,  we  recall  with  unalloyed  joy  the  happy 
years  of  his  ministry  in  this  little  town,  his  pleasant 
passing  in  and  out  among  us,  the  sweet  savor  of  his 
blessing,  the  sacred  hours  when  he  had  us  in  the  wor- 
ship of  the  temple.  Our  children  remember  him  and 
speak  of  him  now,  even  more  tenderly  that  we,  their 
innocent  hearts  being  more  responsive. 

"We  can  recall  no  death  in  our  memories  that  was 
more  taken  to  heart  by  the  people  at  large.  They 
talked  of  it  on  the  streets,  worldly  men,  who  stopped 
to  recall  some  kindly  greeting  of  his  in  the  past,  and 
lo  mention  some  good  deed  done  at  the  time  in  secret, 
but  which  had  come  to  their  knowledge  since  he  left 
us.  We,  who  write  you  this,  were  in  the  Brotherhood 
of  St.  Andrew  with  him,  where,  free  from  the 
restraint  of  the  pulpit  he  poured  out  his  sweetest  self, 
and  was  bon  camarade,  rather  than  rector.  He 
never  gave  us  an  order  for  Church  work,  merely  the 
gentlest  of  suggestion  as  to  what  should  be  done  by 


AFTERMATH.  *97 

any  of  us,  and  it  is  a  pleasure,  inexpressible  now,  to 
remember  that  like  the  invitation  of  royalty,  it  was 
regarded  as  a  command  and  obeyed  without  hesita- 
tion, and  in  good  confidence  of  its  exact  fitness  to  the 
matter  in  hand. 

"We  feel  the  poverty  of  words  as  never  before  in 
writing  you  this.  We  should  but  for  a  serious  illness 
in  the  family  of  one  of  us,  have  had  a  representative 
at  Columbia  when  the  last  love  of  the  South  was 
shown  him,  and  now  we  can  but  ask  God's  blessing 
on  you  and  the  children." 

Another  member  of  the  Morganton  Chapter  sends 
the  following: 

"Mr.  Satterlee  was  very  dear  to  me  and  mine.  His 
friendship  I  prized  above  all  men,  and  to  me  it  was  a 
privilege  seldom  equalled.  Not  only  do  we  mourn 
with  you,  but  this  whole  community  is  sorrowful,  the 
one  topic  being  him  and  his  work,  self-sacrificing  in 
behalf  of  others,  always  doing  good,  always  smooth- 
ing over  the  rough  places.  Truly  he  'walked  with 
God.'  Would  that  I  had  seen  him  before  he  left,  but 
1  feel  that  his  spirit  is  still  with  us.  I  always  cher- 
ished a  feeling  that  some  day  he  would  return  to  his 
flock  here,  but  now  there  is  a  lonely  feeling;  some 
day  we  shall  all  meet,  for  I  know  he  will  intercede 
for  us  who  might  stray  from  the  straight  path.  His 
work  here  will  live  for  all  time,  and  will  be  a  monu- 
ment more  enduring  than  marble  or  brass." 

This  is  from  a  member  of  the  Columbia  Chapter 
of  the  Brotherhood : 


i98  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

"I  felt  that  I  must  write  to  tell  you  of  the  sincere 
love  I  bore  for  Mr.  Satterlee,  ever  since  it  was  my 
good  fortune  to  know  him.     No  one  will  ever  know 
what  his  life  meant  to  me.     It  is  without  hesitation 
that  I  make  the  assertion  that  no  one  could  have 
drawn  me  into  the  Church  as  Mr.  Satterlee  has  done. 
He  was  the  means  of  bringing  me  into  the  Sunday- 
school,  for  I  was  delighted  when  an  opportunity  was 
offered  me  to  assist  him  in  any  way.    Duty  became  a 
pleasure  when  he  was  in  any  way  connected  with  it. 
At  his  invitation  I  became  a  member  of  the  Brother- 
hood of  St.  Andrew,  and  was  happy  to  do  anything 
I  could  for  him.    I  would  die  for  such  a  man." 
A  prominent  lawyer  of  Columbia  writes  thus : 
"I  loved  your  son  with  all  my  heart,  and  the  dear- 
est and  sweetest  recollections  of  him  were  those  to 
which  I  could  not  give  publicity  since  their  nature 
was  altogether  private,  either  in  relation  to  me  as 
friend   or   priest,    but    there   are   other    recollections 
which  will  abide,  in  the  hearts  and  minds  of  all  those 
who    were    blessed    with    his    rectorship    at    Trinity 
Church,  forever." 

Here  is  the  expression  of  a  widow's  sorrow : 
"We  too  mourn  the  loss  of  our  dear,  true  friend, 
whose  place  can  never  be  filled.  Just  what  he  was  to 
me  and  my  fatherless  children,  only  God  knows.  L — 
will,  I  know,  be  a  better,  nobler  man  for  having  been 
under  his  influence." 

This   was   written    by   a    parishioner   of   Trinity 
Church,  Columbia : 


AFTERMATH.  *99 

"And  now  the  deserted  home  is  a  constant  re- 
minder of  the  brave  Christian  soldier,  who  in  his 
brief  stay  with  us,  accomplished  so  much  for  others. 
Strange,  it  seems  to  us  poor  mortals,  that  such  beau- 
tiful lives  are  so  soon  ended.  He  has  finished  the 
work  God  has  given  him  to  do  on  earth,  and  now  he 
has  gone  to  beautify  the  Temple  not  made  with 
hands.  Our  prayer  must  be  for  strength  and  means 
to  carry  on  the  work  begun,  and,  may  we  never  forget 
the  example  set  us  by  the  noble  self-sacrificing  life. 
Some  one  said  to  me,  'Mr.  Satterlee  was  so  sweet  to 
those  in  trouble  that  I  cannot  but  feel  that  he  has 
gone  to  take  a  message  of  comfort  to  our  loved  and 
lost.'  " 

The  three  following  extracts  are  from  letters 
written  by  women  parishioners  at  Morganton : 

"We  can't  forget  him,  for  we  almost  worshipped 
him.  How  true  in  his  case  were  the  words,  'To  know 
him  is  to  love  him.'  I  have  just  started  a  Sunday- 
school  class,  composed  of  boys  about  sixteen,  who  I 
know  would  never  have  drifted  if  he  were  here.  If 
I  can  even  interest  them  a  little,  I  shall  feel  that  I  am 
in  some  way  helping  to  carry  on  his  great  and  noble 
work,  begun  among  us." 

"You  know  how  we  all  here  loved  dear  Mr.  Sat- 
terlee, and  we  really  feel  broken  hearted,  and  your 
sorrow  is  our  sorrow.  He  was  so  much  to  us,  not 
only  as  a  congregation  but  individually ;  next  to  my 
immediate  familv,  I  loved  him  best.     I  feel  that  he 


2oo  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

did  so  much  for  my  soul,  his  sermons  went  straight 
to  my  heart;  his  life  was  an  inspiration,  he  was  so 
pure  and  holy,  and  the  godliest  man  I  ever  knew. 
Though  he  has  been  away  for  three  years,  he  is  as 
dear  to  this  parish  as  when  he  left.  Amidst  the 
mourning  draperies  in  the  church  to-day  I  could  feel 
his  spirit  hovering  near." 

"It  would  have  been  a  sad  sweet  pleasure  to  you  to 
have  been  at  the  beautiful  memorial  service  held  in 
our  little  church  yesterday  (for  it  seemed  as  if  he 
were  almost  with  us),  by  the  citizens  of  the  town, 
and  presided  over  by  the  Bishop.  So  many  men  paid 
beautiful  tributes  of  love  to  one  whom  we  all  loved. 
Men  of  the  Church,  men  of  the  Mission,  and  men  in 
all  the  other  communions  joined  in  words  of  love  and 
admiration  for  him,  and  one  thought  was  expressed 
by  all  sooner  or  later,  'It  was  good  to  have  known  and 
lived  with  such  a  man.'  " 

This  is  from  a  young  man  living  in  Columbia : 
"This  community  has  lost  greatly  by  the  death  of 
your  esteemed  husband,  for  I  do  not  believe  any  man 
ever  came  to  this  city  and  did  as  much  good  as  he  did 
in  the  short  time  he  was  here.  The  people  here  will 
never  forget  him." 

A  Morganton  lawyer  sends  this  tribute : 
"I  loved  him  as  a  brother,  and  his  influence  over  me 
enriched  and  ennobled  my   life  all   the  time  I  was 
under  it.    This  whole  community  mourns,  for  he  was 
universally  loved  and  respected." 


AFTERMATH.  201 

A  prominent  business  man  of  New  York  who  had 
known  Satterlee  from  boyhood,  and  whose  advice  he 
often  sought  on  personal  and  other  matters,  sends  the 
following : 

"It  is  needless  for  me  to  tell  you  how  highly  I 
esteemed  him  and  how  deeply  I  regret  his  death. 
Churchill  had  strengthened  as  years  went  by,  and  the 
last  time  I  saw  him  I  was  greatly  impressed  with  his 
mental  growth.  I  believe  that  he  was  fast  becoming 
one  of  the  strongest  men  in  the  Church.  I  know  that 
he  stood  high  among  the  clergy.  He  was  always 
good,  gentle,  lovable,  with  strong  mental  force  and 
vigor  behind  it.  He  would  write  to  me  about  two 
long  letters  a  year,  telling  me  of  his  work,  his  hopes 
and  his  progress,  though  the  last  he  always  under- 
rated." 

A  former  resident  of  South  Carolina,  now  living 
in  Washington,  writes : 

"Mr.  Satterlee  was  greatly  beloved  in  South  Caro- 
lina,— his  work  there  was  a  great  and  noble  one.  He 
truly  taught  many  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  the 
meek  and  lowly  Jesus,  not  only  by  his  sermons  and 
ministrations,  but  by  his  lovely  Christian  example 
also.  The  State  has  sustained  a  loss,  which  will  be 
hard  to  replace." 

The  following  letter  is  from  a  vestryman  of  Holy 
Trinity  Church,  Philadelphia : 

"It  was  my  great  privilege  to  know  Churchill  dur- 
ing his  early  ministry.  Our  friendship  commenced 
on  an  ocean  steamer.     We  sat  side  by  side  at  the 


202  A  FISHER  OF  MEN. 

table,  and  whether  there  or  as  we  paced  the  upper 
deck,  our  talk  was  on  the  subject  dearest  to  his  heart, 
namely,  How  to  save  men.  His  secret  of  success 
was  his  burning  love  for  Christ  and  a  burning  love 
for  those  for  whom  Christ  died.  His  whole  heart 
was  possessed  with  the  earnest  desire  to  save  the 
immortal  lives  of  men.  During  his  ministry  at  Mor- 
ganton,  North  Carolina,  he  invited  me  several  times 
to  spend  a  week  with  him  while  the  courts  were  in 
session  and  to  speak  daily  at  the  noon  hour  on  the 
subject  of  personal  religion,  to  lawyers  assembled 
from  all  parts  of  the  State.  I  have  always  regretted 
that  I  could  not  fulfill  such  an  engagement.  I  felt 
his  personality  in  my  own  heart.  His  life,  so  spotless, 
so  unselfish,  was  a  living  power  to  me." 

A  prominent  member  of  Trinity  Church,  an  inti- 
mate friend  of  the  rector's,  and  one  of  the  leading 
men  of  Columbia,  has  this  to  say  : 

"I  never  realized  our  rector's  greatness  until  he 
was  taken  away  from  us.  It  is  now  two  months  since 
his  death,  and  the  further  his  form  recedes  into  the 
past  the  stronger  my  consciousness  of  his  real  great- 
ness grows.  In  pondering  this  I  have  thought  many 
times,  that  thus  it  is  with  God's  saints — when  they 
are  present  with  us  in  bodily  form,  their  physical 
nature  seems  to  act  as  a  veil  which,  for  the  time  being, 
obscures  and  hides  the  real  grandeur  of  their  char- 
acters." 


IN    MEMORIAM 

CHURCHILL  SATTERLEE. 

The  youthful  sower  in  the  morning  light 
Went  forth  in  joy  to  sow  the  goodly  seed, 

Himself  he  spared  not,  put  forth  all  his  might, 
Nor  asked  an  earthly  guerdon  for  his  meed. 

The  sun  arose,  but  ere  he  reached  his  noon 
We  saw  the  sower  stricken  in  his  field ; 

"Too  soon,"  our  hearts  in  anguish  cried,  "too  soon, 
Who  sows  the  seed  should  reap  the  harvest's  yield." 

Ah,  so  we  reason  in  our  human  way, 

We  say  of  one,  "His  work  hath  just  begun," 

Of  other,  "He  hath  filled  up  full  his  day" ; 
Yet  how  know  we  when  any's  work  is  done? 

To  each  the  Master  sets  his  proper  task ; 

He  only  knoweth  when  the  tale  is  done; 
He  surely  will  for  no  true  servant  ask 

Until  he  hath  the  day's  full  wages  won. 

And  so,  my  brother,  though  we  mourn  for  thee, 
We  may  not  say  thy  life  knew  not  its  goal ; 

Thy  Master's  own,  "Well  done,"  eternally 
Shall  be  the  satisfaction  of  thy  soul. 

— H.  S. 

THE  END. 


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